Argentina players brandish Falklands banner after 2-1 stoppage-time win over England at World Cup

Argentina eliminated England 2-1 in the World Cup semi-final in Atlanta, then sparked immediate controversy as several players held a banner reading “Las Malvinas son Argentina” — “The Malvinas (Falkland Islands) belong to Argentina” — while celebrating on the pitch.

England had taken the lead through Anthony Gordon ten minutes into the second half, only for Enzo Fernandez to equalise in the 85th minute and Lautaro Martinez to complete the turnaround with a 92nd-minute winner, ending England’s hopes of lifting the trophy for the first time in 60 years.

The political gesture drew swift condemnation. Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni had explicitly distanced himself from mixing football and politics in his pre-match press conference, saying: “The reality is that this is a football match. I can’t mix things up, especially out of respect for what happened so many years ago. It was a very sad period in our history.”

His players’ actions stood in direct contrast to those words. Argentina disputes British sovereignty over the Falkland Islands, referring to them as Las Malvinas. The territorial dispute escalated into armed conflict in 1982. The islands were first claimed by Britain in 1765, and in a 2013 referendum islanders voted overwhelmingly to remain a UK overseas territory.

The political temperature had already been raised before kick-off. Argentina vice-president Victoria Villarruel said ahead of the match: “This is not just another match. I’m not going to be politically correct — against the English, it’s always something more,” adding: “Long live Argentina! Because until our very last breath, we will reclaim what is ours.”

The atmosphere inside the stadium also turned hostile during the pre-match ceremonies, with sections of the Argentina support booing England’s national anthem. The incident drew widespread criticism on social media, with one user writing: “These Argentina fans are disgusting singing out loud and booing the England national anthem. Zero respect.”

The on-field contest itself was fractious, with a number of clashes between players during the match. England now face elimination from the tournament, their latest near-miss in a search for a second World Cup title stretching back to 1966.