Argentina could face disciplinary action from FIFA after several players celebrated their 2026 FIFA World Cup semi-final victory over England by displaying a banner supporting the country’s claim to the Falkland Islands.
The reigning world champions came from behind to defeat England 2-1 in Wednesday’s semi-final in Atlanta, securing a place in Sunday’s final against Spain.
After the final whistle, a group of Argentina players held up a banner reading “Las Malvinas son Argentinas” (“The Falklands are Argentine”), a political message that may breach FIFA regulations prohibiting political statements during football events.
The Falkland Islands, a British Overseas Territory in the South Atlantic, have been at the centre of a sovereignty dispute between Argentina and the United Kingdom for decades.
The disagreement led to the 1982 Falklands War, a 74-day conflict in which 655 Argentine soldiers, 255 British servicemen and three islanders lost their lives.
FIFA has previously punished Argentina over a similar incident.
In 2014, the Argentine Football Association was fined £20,000 after the national team displayed the same banner before an international friendly against Slovenia, with the world governing body ruling that it breached regulations on political messaging and team misconduct.
The controversy intensified after Argentina Vice President Victoria Villarruel posted on X following the victory, writing: “It wasn’t just another match,” alongside a video appearing to show Argentine soldiers.
She added: “The Falklands are Argentine. They banned bringing them to the stadium and forgot that we carry them in our blood and our hearts.”
Before the semi-final, Villarruel had also described the fixture against England as “about putting the invaders in their place.”
Argentina’s players had already drawn attention earlier in the tournament after defeating Egypt in the Round of 16, when they sang chants referencing the Falkland Islands as well as Argentine football legends Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi.
Ahead of the semi-final, Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni distanced football from the long-running political dispute.
“The reality is that this is a football match. I can’t mix things up, especially out of respect for what happened so many years ago.”
He added: “It was a very sad period in our history, and there isn’t much we can do about it.
“We certainly remember those people, but it is a football match.
“We shouldn’t confuse the two.”
The semi-final, decided by late goals from Enzo Fernández and Lautaro Martínez after England had taken the lead, was played under heightened security because of the historical tensions between the two countries.
