Argentina fans burn Union Jack as Scaloni urges calm before England World Cup semi-final

A group of Argentina supporters burned a Union Jack in Escobar, near Buenos Aires, in the days leading up to Wednesday’s World Cup semi-final against England — a fixture that carries deep historical weight both on and off the pitch.

Footage of the incident, said to have been recorded after Argentina’s 3-1 extra-time victory over Switzerland on Saturday, shows a crowd cheering and chanting “He who doesn’t jump is an Englishman” as the flag catches fire. The clip drew immediate mockery on social media, however, because England’s national symbol is the St George’s cross, not the Union Jack. One user wrote: “Are they that dumb or what?” Another added: “Burning the flag of Great Britain thinking it’s England’s just proves that the biggest enemy of the Argentine isn’t the English, it’s the geography book.”

The Union Jack’s significance in Argentina is tied to the 1982 Falklands War, and the political undertone resurfaced inside the Argentina dressing room after the Switzerland win, where players were filmed chanting: “For the Malvinas, for Diego [Maradona], for Leo’s [Lionel Messi] last one.”

Despite the charged atmosphere, Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni was measured at his pre-match press conference. “The message is this is a football game,” Scaloni said. “We will be playing against a very tough opponent, they have an excellent coach, it is a football game and that is all.”

Forward Jose Lopez acknowledged the broader context while insisting professionalism would prevail. “Inside and outside the four lines of the pitch it’s a match that has a lot of history, a lot of pain and a lot of things behind it,” Lopez said. “I think we are professionals and we’re going to play it like we play every game: until the last second, leaving our lives on the field.”

The two nations have not met since a 2005 friendly, making Wednesday’s semi-final their first competitive encounter in two decades. Argentina enter the match as World Cup holders.