Argentine supporters displayed banners reading 'Las Malvinas son Argentinas' – 'The Falklands are Argentine' – during Lionel Messi's farewell match for Argentina, reigniting the sovereignty dispute with the United Kingdom.
In his final appearance for the national team, Messi, 39, was greeted by Fabio Santana, a war veteran who served for Argentina in the Falklands and sang the national anthem. Santana was draped in a flag that read 'The Falklands are ours' in Spanish, and Messi winked at him during the occasion.
Political messages at the stadium
Some of the 85,000 spectators in the Buenos Aires stadium used the event to send political messages. Flags around the ground carried the slogan 'Las Malvinas son Argentinas', while others depicted the islands in blue and white, the colours of the Argentine flag.
The display follows similar rhetoric since the World Cup, where Santana claimed the islands belonged to Argentina, not the United Kingdom, after the national team's semi-final victory over Thomas Tuchel's side. Argentina President Javier Milei also said in a September address that the nation needed to recover the island.
British rule and 2013 referendum
The Falkland Islands have been ruled by Britain since January 1833, and in a 2013 referendum, 99.8% of citizens voted to remain a British overseas territory. The two nations were at war in 1982, but the island remained under British control.
The banners at the World Cup sparked outrage in Britain. Then-Prime Minister Keir Starmer responded: "The World Cup might not be ours, the Falkland Islands definitely are. Self-determination rests with the islanders and our commitment to the Falklands will never waver."
FIFA investigation and presidential comments
FIFA opened an investigation into the banners, as the governing body forbids political messaging at the World Cup. This came despite previously turning a blind eye to a song referencing 1982 sung by fans and players throughout the tournament.
President Milei described the players' celebrations and the banner during the World Cup as 'perfectly valid', claiming the message "reflects a sentiment shared by all Argentines". He said: "I know that for Argentinians, we won the World Cup the moment we beat England because that's really what everyone wanted."
Messi ended his international career after defeat to Spain in the World Cup final, and pulled on the Argentina shirt one final time in a 3-0 win over Benin, scoring from the penalty spot before delivering an emotional farewell speech.
