The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) is reviewing match reports to determine whether disciplinary action is warranted following Argentine players displaying a banner stating “Las Malvinas son Argentinas” (The Falklands are Argentine) after their 2–1 victory over England.
In the aftermath of the World Cup semi‑final in Atlanta, a British minister called on FIFA to investigate the incident.
FIFA issued a statement late Thursday confirming that it was “assessing the match reports.”
“As per standard procedure, FIFA’s Independent Disciplinary Committee is currently evaluating the match reports and the relevant circumstances before deciding on any further steps in accordance with FIFA’s Disciplinary Code,” the federation said.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Downing Street office endorsed the request for scrutiny, with Business Minister Peter Kyle describing the banner waving as an “egregious violation” of FIFA rules that prohibit the display of political symbols on the field of play.
“The World Cup may not belong to us, but the Falkland Islands undeniably do,” a Downing Street spokesperson added.
Argentina invaded the British Overseas Territory in the South Atlantic in 1982, and Britain regained control following a brief conflict under then‑Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s command of a naval taskforce.
“Politics must remain separate from football. The World Cup’s core principle is that sport should be insulated from political matters,” Kyle told BBC television.
In 2014, FIFA fined Argentina’s football association £20,000 (approximately $27,000) after players posed with a banner bearing the same message before a friendly against Slovenia. FIFA cited the gesture as a breach of regulations concerning political action and team misconduct.
Britain occupied the Falklands in the 19th century, but Argentina continues to assert that the islands are part of its territory.
Argentina’s President Javier Milei described the stunt as “perfectly valid and legitimate.”
“The sentiment exists across all Argentines,” he told El Observador radio station. “The Malvinas are Argentine; we will recover them through diplomatic means.”
Argentina’s Vice President Victoria Villarruel intensified tensions ahead of the match by labeling the English side “usurping pirates.”
The 1982 conflict resulted in the deaths of 649 Argentines and 255 Britons.
Following the World Cup match, Argentina’s Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno announced that Buenos Aires had lodged a formal protest over a British warship’s passage near the Falkland Islands. Quirno expressed on X the “strongest rejection” of HMS Medway’s “unconsulted and illegal” transit through Argentine territorial waters.