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Banner After England Win
Argentina players celebrated their World Cup semi-final win over England by holding up a banner reading “Las Malvinas son Argentinas,” a reference to the 1982 Falklands war.
“- Published Argentina face the prospect of a Fifa fine after their players celebrated the World Cup semi-final win against England with a banner in support of their country's claims to the Falkland Islands”
The match at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta ended with Argentina rallying after being 1-0 down with five minutes to go, then scoring twice in quick succession to reach a second straight World Cup final against Spain at MetLife Stadium on Sunday.
The banner was held up by Lisandro Martínez and Giovani Lo Celso, and it was unclear where it came from.
FIFA’s and IFAB’s rules cited in coverage prohibit political messaging on players’ equipment, with IFAB’s rulebook stating, “Equipment must not have any political, religious or personal slogans, statements or images.”
Argentina’s security minister Alejandra Monteoliva said before the match that flags and banners declaring sovereignty over the territory would not be allowed into the stadium, telling Argentina radio, “The entry of elements that have any type of provocative message, whether of political or racial content, is prohibited.”
FIFA Punishment Looms
Coverage framed the banner as a potential trigger for FIFA action, with Football365 saying Argentina “risk being punished by FIFA” after players held up the Falklands banner after beating England.
The Guardian reported that FIFA’s stadium code of conduct bans “banners, flags, flyers, apparel and other paraphernalia that are of a political, offensive, and/or discriminatory nature” inside stadiums, and it said FIFA did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
Argentina midfielder Rodrigo De Paul acknowledged the match “transcends” football, saying, “We sing songs about our Malvinas heroes, mainly to remember them, but we have to understand that it’s a football match and that the Malvinas have to be discussed elsewhere.”
In Atlanta, Argentina’s players also chanted “For the Malvinas, for Diego [Maradona] and for Leo [Messi]’s last one,” while De Paul said “What happened was an atrocity and we always remember the fallen.”
Metro linked the banner to the 74-day war in 1982 and quoted De Paul again, while also noting Monteoliva’s statement that “There will be 1,600 officers. We want the celebration to be peaceful,” ahead of the game.
Final Stakes and Fallout
Argentina’s semi-final win set up a World Cup final against Spain at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, while England moved to the third-placed play-off against France.
“World Cup 2026 — Argentina vs”
The New York Times said Argentina is “at risk of being sanctioned by FIFA” after players celebrated with a Falkland Islands banner following the semi-final win over England.
It described Giovani Lo Celso appearing on the field with a banner saying “Las Malvinas son Argentinas,” and it said the banner appeared to have first been displayed by supporters in the crowd before being laid out on the pitch.
The New York Times also quoted IFAB’s rulebook language that “For any offence the player and/or the team will be sanctioned by the competition organiser, national football association or by FIFA.”
In parallel, USA Today reported that Argentina’s vice president Victoria Villarruel posted messages saying she refuses to be “politically correct,” writing, “Let’s not be so lukewarm as to believe this is just about football.”
