FIFA has confirmed it is “assessing” and “considering the relevant circumstances” after Argentina’s players held up a Falkland Islands banner following their World Cup semi-final victory over England on Wednesday. The governing body’s independent Disciplinary Committee is reviewing match reports before deciding on potential further steps, a FIFA spokesperson said.
Falkland Islands Assembly Complains to FIFA
Jack Ford, Chair of the Falkland Islands Legislative Assembly, sent a formal letter to FIFA regarding the banner displayed by Argentine players after the 2-1 win in Atlanta. The banner read “Las Malvinas Son Argentinas” — a political statement asserting Argentine sovereignty over the Falkland Islands.
Ford noted that this was not an isolated incident: videos also emerged of the Argentina squad singing chants about the Falkland Islands in their locker room after their previous match against Egypt. He pointed out that the Argentine Football Association was fined £20,000 by FIFA in 2014 for similar conduct.
FIFA Rules Prohibit Political Messaging
The letter highlighted that FIFA’s Statutes and Disciplinary Code prohibit political, religious, or personal messaging during matches and in stadiums — specifically citing the FIFA Stadium Code of Conduct (section 2.14) and Disciplinary Code (articles 15.1 and 17.2.e). Ford urged FIFA to apply these rules consistently.
Ford also stressed that the Falkland Islands are a self-governing British Overseas Territory, with 99.8% of islanders voting to remain British in a 2013 referendum on a 92% turnout. He described the 1982 Argentine invasion and 74-day occupation as a traumatic event that makes such political acts particularly insensitive.
Football Should Stay Apolitical
“Football is, first and foremost, a sport, and it is the policy of the Falkland Islands Government to wish to not see politics brought into sport,” Ford wrote, adding support for a statement by UK Minister Peter Kyle to the same effect.
FIFA’s disciplinary process is ongoing, and no timeline for a decision has been announced. The incident has reignited debate over political statements in football, with the Falkland Islands government calling for sanctions against the Argentine Football Association.
