Argentine players who celebrated with a banner referring to the Falkland Islands after their victory over England will likely not be banned from playing ahead of the World Cup final against Spain on Sunday.
The reigning world champions fell behind in the semifinals after Anthony Gordon’s opening goal in the second half. However, Argentina once again demonstrated their composure at the decisive moment, as Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez scored late goals respectively to complete a 2-1 comeback against their rival of many encounters.
After the match, the players and members of Argentina’s coaching staff celebrated wildly on the pitch. Some even took photos with a banner bearing the words “Las Malvinas son Argentinas”, meaning “The Falklands belong to Argentina”.
Manchester United’s Lisandro Martinez, Chelsea’s Enzo Fernandez, and former Tottenham midfielder Giovani Lo Celso were among the group of players photographed holding this banner.
That message evokes the 74-day war in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the Falkland Islands. The war left 255 British military personnel and 649 Argentine soldiers dead.
The British government supported calls for FIFA to open an investigation. Downing Street even declared: “The World Cup may not be ours, but the Falkland Islands certainly are.”
Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey also called on FIFA to suspend the players involved, preventing them from featuring in the final against Spain. In an open letter sent to FIFA President Gianni Infantino, Davey recalled the case where UEFA banned Alvaro Morata and Rodri for one match after the two Spanish players chanted “Gibraltar is Spanish” during their Euro 2024 championship celebrations, also following a victory over England.
According to article 34.3 in the World Cup regulations, players must not display any political message or slogan before, during, or after the match. Argentina was previously fined by FIFA in 2014 after raising a banner with the same slogan in a friendly against Slovenia. Therefore, this incident will most likely not be overlooked either.
Spanish media reported that FIFA will open an investigation through the Disciplinary Committee to determine the punishment for Argentina. The form of sanction could range from fines to suspensions. However, any penalties will likely only be enforced after the World Cup concludes, meaning the involved players can still feature in the final.
Spanish station Cadena COPE also reported that FIFA will conduct an investigation and apply relevant regulations. Although those involved in the incident may be sanctioned, they will not be banned from playing in the final against Spain in New Jersey on Sunday. Argentine newspaper Clarin also considers the possibility of a suspension to be “unlikely”, as this measure is usually only applied in cases deemed particularly severe.
Therefore, Argentina can still enter the final match with their strongest squad. But off the pitch, the post-match celebration against England has opened another story, where football, history, and politics are once again dragged into the same stream of controversy.
