Argentina could be punished by FIFA after its players celebrated their victory in the 2026 FIFA World Cup semi final against England by displaying a banner in support of the country’s claims on the Falkland Islands.The defending champions bounced back in Atlanta, scoring twice in the game to beat England’s Thomas Tuchel 2-1 and book a place in Sunday’s World Cup final against Spain.After the final whistle, the Argentine players celebrated with a banner that read “Las Malvinas son Argentinas”, meaning “The Falklands and Argentina.”
The long-running Falklands dispute
The Falkland Islands are a British overseas territory in the South Atlantic Ocean. However, Argentina has long been in control of the islands.The two countries fought a 74-day war on the islands between April and June 1982. The war claimed the lives of 655 Argentine soldiers, 255 British soldiers and residents of the three islands.This is not the first time that Argentina has taken action on this issue. In 2014, FIFA fined the Argentina Football Association £20,000 after players displayed a banner with the same message in front of a friendly against Slovenia.At the time, soccer’s world governing body ruled that the practice violated its rules on politics and team misconduct.
Argentina’s Vice President responded
Following Wednesday’s victory, Argentina’s vice president, Victoria Villarruel, celebrated the result on social media.“It was not another match”, he wrote along with a video showing the Argentine soldiers.He later added: “The Falklands and Argentina. They stopped bringing them to the stadium and forgot that we carry them in our blood and in our hearts.”Before the semi-final, Villarruel said that the game is “about putting the attackers in their place”.Argentinian players have previously sung songs about the Falklands, as well as football legends Diego Maradona and Lionel Messiafter a stunning 3-2 last-16 win over Egypt.Argentina face Spain at the MetLife Stadium on Sunday as they look for a third consecutive victory. FIFA World Cup responsibilities.