After Argentina beat England 2-1 in the World Cup semi-final, UK officials react to what they describe as a political message shown on the pitch. Shortly after the match, Argentine players held up a banner reading “Las Malvinas son Argentinas” (“The Malvinas/Falkland Islands are Argentine”). The banner references Argentina’s long-running claim to the Falkland Islands, a British overseas territory that the UK says remains under British sovereignty.
UK Business Secretary Peter Kyle calls the display “entirely inappropriate” and says politics should be separate from football. He tells BBC Breakfast that the issue is now for FIFA, adding that he expects the governing body to carry out a thorough investigation. Metro also reports that Downing Street backs the call for FIFA action.
The articles note the dispute stems from the 1982 South Atlantic war between the UK and Argentina and that locals voted in 2013 to remain a UK overseas territory. Metro additionally references FIFA’s earlier sanction of Argentina in 2014 for a similar Falklands-related message. Separate from the UK response, some UK politicians argue FIFA should impose bans again, citing another recent case involving political chanting.
