Argentina players risk sanctions after celebrating World Cup win over England with Falkland Islands banner

Argentina could find themselves in hot water with FIFA ahead of the World Cup final after celebrating their win over England with a banner about the Falkland Islands. Lionel Messi’s 2022 champions struck two late goals to overcome England in a semi-final clash charged by both football and political history. And it was the latter that returned to the spotlight when Argentina players waved a homemade sign seemingly plucked out of the stands in Atlanta on Wednesday night (Thursday AEST). The black-on-white spray-painted banner read ‘Las Malvinas son Argentinas’ — or ‘The Falklands are Argentine’. Giovani Lo Celso and Nicolas Otamendi, who previously played in England with Tottenham and Manchester City respectively, waved the sign then placed it on the turf as the players celebrated with their fans inside the stadium. Political messages are explicitly banned by FIFA. Tensions linger between Argentina and Great Britain over the Falkland Islands, which boiled over into conflict in 1982. Argentina has repeatedly claimed sovereignty over the Falkland Islands, which are about 8000 miles (12,875km) from Britain and 300 miles (483km) from mainland Argentina. Argentinian Vice President Victoria Villarruel wrote before the game: “We play against the usurping pirates. I’m not going to be politically correct or cold-hearted; against the English, it’s always something more.” Villarruel, whose father fought in the Falklands war for Argentina’s military dictatorship, tweeted a victory message at full-time saying “it wasn’t just another match” alongside a video of what appeared to be Argentine soldiers. In return, the UK government called on FIFA to act with business secretary Peter Kyle declaring the Argentine players’ behaviour was “entirely inappropriate”. “Politics needs to be separate from football,” Kyle told the BBC. “In fact, the World Cup has one of its central tenets that politics is separate from football. “That is now a matter for FIFA. I expect FIFA to do its investigation thoroughly.” Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni had said before the game he did not want the fixture to become about the conflict over the British overseas territory. International football’s rulebook states “equipment must not have any political, religious or personal slogans, statements or images”. “Players must not reveal undergarments that show political, religious, personal slogans, statements or images, or advertising other than the manufacturer’s logo,” it continues. “For any offence the player and/or the team will be sanctioned by the competition organiser, national football association or by FIFA.” FIFA already enforced the rule ahead of the 2026 World Cup when Haiti attempted to add an image from the 1803 Haitian War of Independence to the team’s jersey. Apparel company Saeta claimed it was “not a political statement” and instead “a tribute to the men and women who contribute every day to Haiti’s future”. Haiti seemingly avoided a sanction because the image was spotted and rejected during the jersey approval process. FIFA also banned pre-revolutionary Iran flags at the World Cup. — with AAP