After defeating England in the semi-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Great Britain strongly reacted to the hanging of a political banner by Argentina players and demanded an investigation from FIFA.
At the end of the match, the Argentine players raised a banner in celebration that read ‘Las Malvinas son Argentinas’ in Spanish, which means Argentina’s Falkland Islands.
According to the British media, the Minister of British Affairs Peter Kyle announced that hanging a banner with a political message on the field is a serious violation of FIFA rules, because the world football body does not allow political symbols and messages on the field of play.
He requested FIFA to conduct a detailed investigation into the matter and take appropriate measures.
Meanwhile, the Downing Street Office of the Prime Minister of England, Keir Starmer, also supported this request and said that the World Cup may not be ours, but the Falkland Islands definitely belong to Britain.
It is worth remembering that the Falkland Islands, which Argentina calls Malvina, have been a dispute between the two countries for decades. Argentina acquired the islands in 1982, but Britain regained control after a brief war. 649 Argentine soldiers and 255 British soldiers were killed in this war.
On the other hand, FIFA has not given any official answer regarding the issue.
Meanwhile, after Argentina’s semi-final victory, the country’s Foreign Minister Pablo Carno also claimed that the government had filed a diplomatic complaint against Britain over the alleged movement of the British warship HMS Medway near the Falkland Islands.
It is worth remembering that before the semi-final, the Vice President of Argentina, Victoria Villarreal, called England a pirate and increased the tension between the two countries.
