Argentina players risk FIFA punishment over Falkland Island banner after England win

Argentina players celebrated their win against England in tonight’s World Cup semi final by carrying a banner which claimed the Falkland Islands belonged to Argentina.

Tonight’s tense match saw England take the lead just into the second half thanks to a goal by Anthony Gordon, but Argentina’s Enzo Fernandez got an equaliser in the 85th minute.

With the game level as the two teams headed towards the final whistle, it looked as though half an hour extra time or even penalties could have been on the cards, but that wasn’t to be after Lautaro Martinez scored the winning goal in the 92nd minute, sending England out of the competition.

After the win, the Argentinian side celebrated on the pitch but some players have come under fire for unfurling a banner that mentioned the Falkland Islands.

Players were seen holding the banner during post-match celebrations (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Footage from the post-match celebrations showed Giovani Lo Celso appearing on the field with a banner saying, ‘Las Malvinas son Argentinas,’ which translates to ‘The Malvinas are Argentine’.

Lisandro Martinez and other players were also seen holding the banner and waving it at fans before it was briefly moved out of sight.

However, it was then laid out on the pitch.

Las Malvinas is the term Argentina uses for the Falkland Islands.

The Falkland Islands are a British dependency, that Argentina has long claimed it inherited in 1816.

In 1982, Argentina attempted to take the territory from Britain and a conflict broke out that resulted in the deaths of more than 900 people, including 255 British servicemen.

Britain won the conflict and the vast majority of residents of the islands have said they wish to remain ‌part ⁠of Britain.

Ahead of the game tonight, FIFA banned Argentinian flags featuring the Falklands from the stadium.

And the players could be facing consequences after holding up the banner.

The International Football Association Board (IFAB), which sets the rules for the game, and FIFA have a clear policy when it comes to political flags, messages or symbols.

FIFA has strict rules around political messages at games (Jose Hernandez/Anadolu via Getty Images)

“Equipment must not have any political, religious or personal slogans, statements or images. Players must not reveal undergarments that show political, religious, personal slogans, statements or images, or advertising other than the manufacturer’s logo,” IFAB’s rulebook states.

“For any offence the player and/or the team will be sanctioned by the competition organiser, national football association or by FIFA.”

Meanwhile, FIFA’s stadium code of conduct prohibits ‘any materials, including but not limited to banners, flags, fliers, apparel and other paraphernalia, that are of a political, offensive and/or discriminatory nature, containing wording, symbols or any other attributes aimed at discrimination of any kind against a country, private person or group on account of race, skin colour, ethnicity, national or social origin, gender identity and expression, disability, language, religion, political opinion or any other opinion, birth, wealth or any other status, sexual orientation or on any other grounds.’

If the banner is deemed to be political in nature by officials then the players involved are at risk of being punished.

Argentina's win against England tonight has set them up for a World Cup final against Spain at the weekend.

LADbible has contacted FIFA for comment.