Piers Morgan unleashed a foul-mouthed tirade against the Argentina football team after their World Cup semi-final victory over England on Wednesday. The Uncensored presenter, 61, took to social media to blast the players for displaying a banner reading "Las Malvinas son Argentinas" (The Falklands are Argentine) after the match.
FIFA Investigates Argentina's Political Banner
FIFA is currently "assessing match reports" before deciding whether to punish Argentina for the political gesture. The banner refers to the Falkland Islands, a British Overseas Territory that has been the subject of a sovereignty dispute between the UK and Argentina since the 1982 Falklands War.
The 74-day conflict resulted in the deaths of 255 British military personnel, three islanders, and 649 Argentine soldiers. In 2013, the Falkland Islanders voted overwhelmingly to remain a British Overseas Territory.
Piers Morgan's Reaction
In a post viewed by his 8.8 million followers, Morgan fumed: "Classless pr**ks. I hope Spain beat them as badly in the Final as we beat them in the Falklands War." His comments sparked a divided response on social media. One user argued: "Bringing up a literal war because your football team couldn't defend a 1-0 lead is the ultimate definition of classless. Cry louder." Another wrote: "What Argentina has done to people in this world cup needs to be documented, never seen people cry this loud just because the team they hate keeps winning." However, some agreed with Morgan, with a third saying: "Same here.. I'd rather have Spain win it than this Argentine team.. totally classless bunch..."
Falkland Islands Government Response
The government of the Falkland Islands expressed disappointment, stating it was "disappointed but not surprised" by the banner and hopes FIFA will "sanction all behaviour of this nature in line with its own rules." The statement added: "We do not wish to see politics being brought into sport. Nor do we wish the Islands and their people to be used as a political football in every conversation about England and Argentina."
