Nigel Farage has expressed his disgust after Argentinian football players waved a banner claiming the Falkland Islands as Argentine territory following their World Cup semi-final victory over England. The Reform UK leader called for a rapid strengthening of the Royal Navy in response to the incident.
What happened on the pitch
Following Argentina's 2-1 win over the Three Lions on Wednesday night, several players held up a banner reading "Las Malvinas son Argentinas" — Spanish for "The Falkland Islands are Argentinian". The banner was initially displayed by jubilant fans in the stands before making its way onto the pitch, where players joined in the display.
The incident has reignited the long-standing sovereignty dispute between the UK and Argentina over the British Overseas Territory, known as the Falkland Islands in English and Islas Malvinas in Spanish.
Farage's response
Taking to X, formerly Twitter, Farage wrote: "Whilst I am disgusted at the behaviour of some Argentinian players last night, the most important thing to do is build up the Royal Navy quickly." The Reform leader's comments came as he linked the political gesture to broader defence concerns.
Political reaction
Cabinet minister Peter Kyle also condemned the players' actions. The Business Secretary 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."
Kyle added: "That is now a matter for FIFA. I expect FIFA to do its investigation thoroughly. 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."
Potential FIFA sanctions
The players could face disciplinary action from football's governing body FIFA, which prohibits political messaging on the pitch. The organisation is expected to launch a formal investigation into the incident, which took place during the high-profile semi-final match.
The Falklands dispute dates back to 1833 when the UK asserted control over the islands, leading to a brief but bloody war in 1982 after Argentina invaded. The territory's residents voted overwhelmingly to remain a British Overseas Territory in a 2013 referendum.
