The British government on Thursday called on FIFA to investigate Argentina after players celebrated their 2-1 World Cup semi-final victory over England by posing with a banner claiming sovereignty over the disputed Falkland Islands.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer backed calls for FIFA to investigate, according to his spokesperson.
“The World Cup might not be ours, but the Falkland Islands definitely are. Self-determination rests with the islanders and our commitment to the Falklands will never waver,” the spokesperson said.
Business minister Peter Kyle had earlier also called for an investigation, calling the banner an “egregious violation” of FIFA rules which prohibit political symbols on the field of play.
Argentina refers to the Falkland Islands as Islas Malvinas. Argentine forces invaded the islands in 1982 on the orders of the country’s then-military dictatorship, triggering a 10-week war won by Britain.
Argentina risked the possibility of disciplinary action following their semi-final victory over England after their players held a banner supporting their country’s claim to the Falkland Islands.
The defending champions came back from 1-0 down to make their way to a second consecutive World Cup final with goals from Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez that sparked celebrations from Atlanta to Buenos Aires.
But the decision to parade a banner reading ‘Las Malvinas son Argentinas’ (The Malvinas are Argentine) could lead to a fine from football’s governing body.
In 2014, the Argentine Football Association was fined 30,000 Swiss francs (€32,455) when players posed for photos in front of a banner with the same message in the build-up to a fixture against Slovenia.
According to FIFA’s Stadium Code of Conduct, published before the tournament began, “banners, flags, fliers, apparel and other paraphernalia, that are of a political, offensive and/or discriminatory nature” are prohibited.
The vice-president of Argentina, Victoria Villarruel, posted, “They banned bringing them to the stadium and forgot that we carry them in our blood and our hearts.”
The Falkland Islands were the focus of a war between the UK and Argentina in 1982, in which 655 Argentine and 255 British soldiers were killed.
Argentina has long claimed sovereignty over the Falkland Islands, which it calls the Islas Malvinas, arguing the South Atlantic archipelago was unlawfully occupied by Britain in 1833.
The UK rejects the claim, maintaining it has sovereignty over the islands and that the islanders overwhelmingly voted in a 2013 referendum to remain a British Overseas Territory.
The UN does not endorse either country’s sovereignty claim, but has repeatedly called on both governments to resume negotiations to reach a peaceful settlement.