Argentina players spark outrage with Falklands banner after 2-1 World Cup semi-final win over England

Argentina’s players ignited a political storm at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Wednesday after brandishing a banner reading ‘Las Malvinas son Argentinas’ — ‘The Falklands are Argentinian’ — on the pitch following their 2-1 World Cup semi-final victory over England.

The display came hours after the Argentine foreign ministry filed a formal note of protest with the British embassy in Buenos Aires over the movement of Royal Navy vessel HMS Medway, which sailed from the Falkland Islands to the Strait of Magellan last week. Argentina’s ministry claimed the warship failed to properly notify the nation of its passage and classified the movement as a “military incursion” into areas it considers under its jurisdiction. The UK maintains that Royal Navy vessels operating from the Falklands require no authorisation from Argentina to operate in the South Atlantic.

In a statement, Argentina’s foreign ministry said: “By history, by law and by conviction, the Falkland Islands are Argentine.”

The banner’s appearance on a World Cup pitch carries significant historical weight. Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands in 1982, prompting then-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher to dispatch more than 100 ships to defend British sovereignty. The 74-day conflict claimed the lives of 649 Argentinians, 255 Britons and three Falkland Islanders before Argentina surrendered. Britain first asserted sovereignty over the islands in 1690, a claim Argentina has never accepted.

On the pitch, Lionel Scaloni’s side came from behind to defeat Thomas Tuchel’s England. Anthony Gordon had given England the lead on 55 minutes, but goals from Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez completed a late comeback to send Argentina through to Sunday’s final in New Jersey, where they will face Spain. England will meet France in a third-place play-off the day before.

The players who held up the banner in Atlanta are expected to face disciplinary action from FIFA once the tournament concludes, with the governing body’s regulations prohibiting political messages or acts on the field of play.