UK government demands FIFA probe Argentina over Falklands banner after England defeat

Britain’s Business Secretary has formally demanded a FIFA investigation into Argentina after several players held up a banner reading ‘Las Malvinas son Argentinas’ — ‘The Malvinas are Argentine’ — during celebrations following their World Cup semi-final win over England.

Politician Peter Kyle made the call after the white sheet was raised in front of Argentina’s supporters in the immediate aftermath of the match. ‘Politics needs to be separate from football,’ Kyle told the BBC. ‘In fact, the World Cup has one of its central tenets that politics is separate from football. That is now a matter for FIFA. I expect FIFA to do its investigation thoroughly.’

The demand carries regulatory weight. FIFA’s code of conduct explicitly forbids ‘banners, flags, flyers, apparel and other paraphernalia that are of a political, offensive, and/or discriminatory nature’ on the pitch. The same rules have already been applied to England supporters at the tournament, after a flag featuring the Barrow crest was removed from a stadium because the submarine on the club’s badge was deemed restricted military imagery.

Argentina’s players had also drawn criticism earlier in the tournament for singing a chant referencing the Falkland Islands during their run to the semi-finals. FIFA has yet to take action over any of the incidents.

Argentina’s vice-president Victoria Villarruel publicly backed the players, sharing footage of the banner celebration on X and writing: ‘The Falklands are Argentine! They banned bringing them to the stadium and forgot that we carry them in our blood and our hearts.’

Nigel Farage also commented on the episode, posting on X: ‘Whilst I am disgusted at the behaviour of some Argentinian players last night, the most important thing to do is build up the Royal Navy quickly.’

The sovereignty dispute at the heart of the incident dates back centuries. Argentina maintains the islands were unlawfully seized by Britain in 1833; Britain traces its territorial claim to 1765. In 1982, Britain repelled an Argentine military attempt to retake the archipelago in a 10-week conflict.

Whether FIFA will act — and what form any sanction might take — remains unclear. The governing body’s silence so far has drawn criticism from those who argue it is applying its political-messaging rules inconsistently.