Argentina squad displays Falklands claim banner following World Cup win against England

The banner, held up by Lisandro Martinez and Giovani Lo Celso, goes against FIFA’s Stadium Code of Conduct.

Published On 15 Jul 202615 Jul 2026

Following Argentina’s 2-1 victory over England in the World Cup semifinal, several players displayed a political banner reading “Las Malvinas Son Argentinas” (“The Falklands are Argentinian”), an act that appears to breach FIFA regulations.

FIFA’s Stadium Code of Conduct prohibits “banners, flags, flyers, apparel and other paraphernalia that are of a political, offensive, and/or discriminatory nature” inside its venues.

World football’s governing body had not responded to Al Jazeera’s request for comment as of Wednesday.

The dispute over sovereignty of the South Atlantic islands—referred to as the Falklands by Britain and the Malvinas by Argentina—has been a persistent source of tension between the two nations.

The countries fought a brief war over the territory in 1982, with 649 Argentine and 255 British military personnel killed. Britain emerged victorious, and most island residents have indicated a preference to remain under British administration.

Argentina maintains it inherited the islands from Spain after gaining independence in 1816, asserting that Britain assumed control in 1833 through an unlawful colonial action.

Lisandro Martinez and Giovani Lo Celso raised the banner while smiling and acknowledging supporters in the stands. The origin of the banner remains unknown.

This is not the first instance of political displays at the tournament. Last month in Los Angeles, Iranian Americans held pre-revolutionary flags as protest symbols against Tehran during Iran’s matches; those games passed without disruption.

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