FIFA has opened an investigation into Argentina’s players after they held up a banner claiming the Falkland Islands during celebrations at the World Cup semi-final in Atlanta, in the US. It is the second time in 12 years the governing body has examined the same slogan from the same team.
The banner read “Las Malvinas son Argentinas”, meaning “The Falklands are Argentine”. Defender Lisandro Martínez, Nicolás Otamendi and unused substitute Giovani Lo Celso displayed it on July 15 after Argentina came from behind to beat England 2-1, then left it on the pitch.
FIFA said its independent disciplinary committee was assessing match reports before deciding on any further steps, describing the process as standard procedure. Reports differed over the banner’s origin, with several saying supporters near the pitch had passed it to the players.
The British Government had already demanded action. “The World Cup might not be ours, but the Falkland Islands definitely are,” a spokesperson for Prime Minister Keir Starmer said, adding that self-determination rested with the islanders.
British business secretary Peter Kyle called the display an “egregious violation” of FIFA rules and urged a thorough inquiry. Politics and football had to be kept apart, he told BBC television.
The Falkland Islands Legislative Assembly wrote to FIFA’s disciplinary committee describing the banner as a clear political statement on sovereignty. Its chair Jack Ford said members were “disappointed, though regrettably not surprised”.
Ford’s letter said videos had leaked after Argentina’s last-16 win over Egypt showing the squad singing about the islands in the dressing room. FIFA did not act at the time.
FIFA fined the Argentine Football Association 30,000 Swiss francs (€32,400) in 2014 after players displayed the same banner before a friendly against Slovenia. UEFA suspended Spain’s Rodri and Álvaro Morata for one match each in 2024 for leading “Gibraltar es español” chants at Euro 2024 celebrations in Madrid.
Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey said the players involved should be barred from the July 19 final against Spain at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. FIFA was not expected to rule before kick-off.
Argentine President Javier Milei called the celebration entirely legitimate and said it reflected a feeling shared across the country, though he expected a fine.
Britain has administered the archipelago since 1833. Argentina invaded in 1982, triggering a 74-day war in which 649 Argentine and 255 British servicemen died, along with three islanders.
Islanders voted almost unanimously to remain a British Overseas Territory in a 2013 referendum. Washington’s backing for that position came into question in April, when a leaked Pentagon email floated reassessing US support for European “imperial possessions”, naming the islands.
