Business Secretary Peter Kyle has described as “entirely inappropriate” the actions of Argentinian players who waved a banner supporting their country’s claim to the Falkland Islands after their World Cup semi-final victory over England. The defending champions defeated the Three Lions 2-1 in Wednesday’s match in Atlanta.
Banner Display and Reaction
After the match, Argentine fans near the pitch held up a banner reading “Las Malvinas son Argentinas” (the Falkland Islands are Argentinian). The banner was then passed to the players, who held it up during their celebrations. The incident could lead to disciplinary action from FIFA, as the governing body prohibits political messaging on the pitch.
Speaking to the BBC, Mr Kyle said: “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.”
Call for FIFA Investigation
The Business Secretary added: “We expect FIFA to undertake an investigation into this. I think it was certain to happen because it was such an egregious violation of the rules of not having political activity as part of the football.”
The Falkland Islands, known as Las Malvinas in Spanish, have been a source of tension between Argentina and the United Kingdom. The UK asserts its sovereignty over the islands, which were the site of a brief war in 1982 after Argentina invaded. Argentina claims the islands are part of its territory.
