Argentina’s players displayed “entirely inappropriate” behaviour when they waved a banner supporting their country’s claim to the Falkland Islands after their World Cup semi-final victory against England, senior minister Peter Kyle has said. The defending champions defeated the Three Lions 2-1 in Wednesday’s match in Atlanta.
Banner and political controversy
After the match, Argentina fans near the pitch held a banner reading “Las Malvinas son Argentinas” (The Falkland Islands are Argentinian). The banner was passed to the players, who held it up during celebrations. The incident violates Fifa’s rules banning political messaging on the pitch, potentially leading to disciplinary action.
Business Secretary Peter Kyle told BBC Breakfast: “My reaction is that it was entirely inappropriate. Politics needs to be separate from football. 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.” He added that the violation was “egregious” and that an investigation was certain.
Political tensions and reactions
Speaking on Times Radio, Kyle praised Thomas Tuchel’s England side for their “dignity”, which he said stood in “perfect contrast” to Argentina’s behaviour. Political tensions between Argentina and Britain over the Falkland Islands remain high, with the 1982 war still a sensitive issue. Argentina has repeatedly claimed sovereignty over the islands, located about 8,000 miles from Britain and 300 miles from mainland Argentina.
Before the match, Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni said he did not want the fixture to become about the territorial conflict. However, Argentina’s Vice-President Victoria Villarruel tweeted a victory message at full-time saying “it wasn’t just another match”, alongside a video of what appeared to be Argentinian soldiers. In the build-up, she had described England as “invaders” and “usurping pirates”.
