Argentina Make Controversial Statement After World Cup Win Over England

Argentina players sparked controversy after displaying a political banner reading “Las Malvinas Son Argentinas,” which translates to “The Falklands are Argentine,” following their 2-1 World Cup semifinal victory over England.

Lisandro Martinez and Giovani Lo Celso were seen holding the banner, smiling and waving toward supporters in the stands. It remains unclear where the banner came from.

The display appears to be in violation of FIFA’s Stadium Code of Conduct, which prohibits “banners, flags, flyers, apparel and other paraphernalia that are of a political, offensive, and/or discriminatory nature” inside stadiums.

FIFA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Argentina has previously faced disciplinary action over the same message. In 2014, FIFA fined the Argentine Football Association £20,000 after national team players displayed a banner carrying the same slogan before a friendly match against Slovenia.

World football’s governing body ruled at the time that the gesture had breached its regulations on political statements and team misconduct.

The sovereignty of the South Atlantic islands, known as the Falklands in Britain and the Malvinas in Argentina, has remained a major source of tension between the two countries for decades.

Argentina and Britain fought a short war over the islands in 1982. The conflict claimed the lives of 649 Argentine soldiers and 255 British military personnel. Britain eventually won the war, while the vast majority of the islands’ residents have said they want the territory to remain under British control.

Argentina, however, continues to claim sovereignty over the islands. It argues that it inherited the territory from Spain after gaining independence in 1816 and that Britain took control in 1833 through an illegal colonial act.

This is not the first time political symbols have appeared during the World Cup.

Last month in Los Angeles, Iranian Americans displayed pre-revolutionary Iranian flags during Iran’s matches. The flags are widely seen as symbols of protest against the government in Tehran. Those matches continued without incident.