Argentina risk FIFA penalty after flying Falkland Islands flag during England victory celebrations

Argentina could face disciplinary action from FIFA after its players celebrated their 2026 World Cup semi-final victory over England by displaying a banner supporting the country’s claim to the Falkland Islands.The defending champions staged a dramatic comeback in Atlanta, scoring twice in the match to beat Thomas Tuchel’s England 2-1 and book a place in Sunday’s World Cup final against Spain.After the final whistle, the Argentine players celebrated with a banner reading “Las Malvinas son Argentinas”, which translates to “The Falklands are Argentines”.

The long-running dispute over the Falklands

The Falkland Islands are a British overseas territory in the South Atlantic Ocean. However, Argentina has long claimed sovereignty over the islands.The two countries fought a 74-day war between April and June 1982 over the islands. The conflict claimed the lives of 655 Argentine soldiers, 255 British soldiers and three islanders.This is not the first time Argentina has faced a lawsuit over the issue. In 2014, FIFA fined the Argentine Football Association £20,000 after players displayed a banner with the same message before a friendly against Slovenia.At the time, world soccer’s governing body ruled that the act violated its regulations on political action and team misconduct.

Argentina’s vice president reacts

After Wednesday’s victory, Argentine Vice President Victoria Villarruel celebrated the result on social networks.“It wasn’t just another match,” she captioned the video, which appeared to show Argentine soldiers.She later added: “The Falklands are Argentina. They banned them from being worn to the stadium and forgot that we carry them in our blood and in our hearts.”Before the semi-final, Villarruel also described the match as “about putting the forwards in their place”.Argentina players have previously sung chants referencing the Falklands alongside football legends Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi following their dramatic 3-2 last 16 win over Egypt.Argentina now take on Spain at the MetLife Stadium on Sunday as they look set to become only the third nation to win back-to-back World Cup titles.