Argentina's VP brands England 'usurping pirates' on eve of World Cup semi-final

Argentina’s vice president Victoria Villaruel has branded England ‘usurping pirates’ and ‘invaders’ in a provocative social media post on the eve of the two nations’ World Cup semi-final in Georgia on Wednesday. The inflammatory message came despite Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni publicly stating it would be ‘quite wrong’ to frame the match in the context of the Falklands War.

Villaruel, the daughter of a Falklands veteran, posted the message on X, writing: “Tomorrow we play against the usurping pirates. This isn’t just another match. I’m not going to be politically correct or cold-hearted; against the English, it’s always something more. It’s the Malvinas, it’s Diego, it’s Leo’s [Messi] last one, go Argentina! Because until our last breath, we’re going to claim what’s ours!”

The Falklands War has loomed large in the build-up to the semi-final, as it has done in previous high-profile meetings between the two countries. The conflict, which ended in 1982, has long intersected with football rivalry — most famously through Diego Maradona’s ‘Hand of God’ goal at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico City.

Villaruel’s comments have drawn significant attention precisely because Scaloni had sought to lower the temperature before the match. The Argentina manager’s call for restraint now sits in sharp contrast to the rhetoric coming from within his own country’s government.

The winner of Wednesday’s semi-final will face Spain in the final on Sunday, after Luis de la Fuente’s side eliminated France in the other last-four tie.