Hostile message behind Argentina's 'whoever doesn't jump is an Englishman' chant
‘El que no salta es un inglés’ translates to ‘whoever doesn't jump is an Englishman’.
Argentina's players sang the chant after their victory against Switzerland to make it to the semis.
While many fans sing along to it, the slogan carries a deeper and more hostile historical message that extends far beyond sporting rivalry.
The chant has its roots in the aftermath of the 1982 Falklands War, known in Argentina as the Malvinas War.
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“For the Malvinas, For Diego, For Leo's [Messi's] last one,” players sang in the dressing room on Sunday, adding that they will beat England 'for the Falklands'.
The conflict between Argentina and the United Kingdom lasted just over two months and resulted in the deaths of more than 900 people.
According to Help for Heroes, the Falklands War began on 2 April 1982 when ‘the Argentine armed forces invaded the Falkland Islands’.
“A few weeks prior to that, on 19 March, ongoing tension over the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands was heightened when a group of Argentine scrap metal merchants raised the Argentine flag at South Georgia Island,” the charity explains.
“This followed the collapse of long-running negotiations between Great Britain and Argentina over the ownership of the islands.”
The Falklands War lasted 74 days and ended with the surrender of Argentine Forces on 14 June.
A FIFA não punirá a Argentina pelo cântico dos jogadores sobre as Ilhas Malvinas, no vestiário, após a vitória por 3 a 2 contra o Egito.
— LIBERTA DEPRE (@liberta___depre) July 11, 2026
Embora o regulamento da entidade máxima do futebol (FIFA) proíba a exibição de slogans ou o entoamento de gritos de caráter político em seus… pic.twitter.com/uPViN3W1Y1
“A total of 255 British Armed Forces personnel were killed during the conflict, and a further 777 were injured. Three British civilians were also killed as a result of the fighting,” it explains.
"During the conflict, 649 Argentine military personnel were lost."
Although football and politics are meant to be kept separate, the war left a lasting impact on Argentine national identity, and anti-English sentiment became embedded in certain aspects of football culture.
Football's long-standing rivalry between Argentina and England has only strengthened the chant's popularity, being sang through some of the sport's most memorable moments, including Diego Maradona's ‘Hand of God’ goal and his stunning solo effort at the 1986 World Cup.
In recent years, however, football authorities and anti-discrimination groups have increasingly questioned whether chants targeting national identity have a place in the modern game.
While many Argentine supporters insist the slogan is a traditional terrace chant rather than an expression of hatred, others believe it contributes to an atmosphere of division and undermines football's efforts to promote respect and inclusion.
England will face Argentina in a competitive fixture for the first time since the 2002 World Cup on Wednesday.
“The level of training will go down of course. Now it is just about recovery. Everyone is ready to attack the last eight days of the tournament,” England manager Thomas Tuchel said after their quarter final win against Norway.
“The next three days are crucial, of course, to be ready. We have another flight, but this victory will help a lot, this feeling will help a lot.
“We have a top facility to recover at the highest level and we will be ready.”
2026 World Cup results so far
Sunday, 12 July
Quarter-final - Match 100: Argentina vs Switzerland, 3-1
Saturday, 11 July
Quarter-final - Match 99: Norway vs England, 1-2
Friday, 10 July
Quarter-final - Match 98: Spain vs Belgium, 2-1
Thursday, 9 July
Quarter-final - Match 97: France vs Morocco, 2-0
Tuesday 7 July
Round of 16 - Match 94: USA vs Belgium, 1-4
Round of 16 - Match 95: Argentina vs Egypt, 3-2
Round of 16 - Match 96: Switzerland vs Colombia, 0-0 (4-3 on penalties)
Monday 6 July
Round of 16 - Match 92: Mexico vs England, 2-3
Round of 16 - Match 93: Portugal vs Spain, 0-1
Sunday 5 July
Round of 16 - Match 91: Brazil vs Norway, 1-2
Saturday 4 July
Round of 32 - Match 87: Colombia vs Ghana, 1-0
Round of 16 - Match 90: Canada vs Morocco, 0-3
Round of 16 - Match 89: Paraguay vs France, 0-1
Friday 3 July
Round of 32 - Match 83: Portugal vs Croatia, 2-1
Round of 32 - Match 85: Switzerland vs Algeria, 2-0
Round of 32 - Match 88: Australia vs Egypt, 1-1 (2-4 on penalties)
Round of 32 - Match 86: Argentina vs Cabo Verde, 3-2
Thursday, 2 July
Round of 32 - Match 81: USA vs Bosnia & Herzegovnia, 2-0
Round of 32 - Match 84: Spain vs Austria, 3-0
Wednesday, 1 July
Round of 32 - Match 79: Mexico vs Ecuador, 2-0
Round of 32 - Match 80: England vs DR Congo, 2-1
Round of 32 - Match 82: Belgium vs Senegal, 3-2
Tuesday, 30 June
Round of 32 - Match 75: Netherlands vs Morocco, 1-1 (3-2)
Round of 32 - Match 78: Ivory Coast vs Norway, 2-1
Round of 32 - Match 77: France vs Sweden, 3-0
Monday, 29 June
Round of 32 - Match 76: Brazil vs Japan, 2-1
Round of 32 - Match 74: Germany vs Paraguay, 1-1 (4-3)
Sunday, 28 June
Group K: Colombia vs Portugal, 0-0
Group K: DR Congo vs Uzbekistan, 3-1
Group J: Algeria vs Austria, 3-3
Group J: Jordan vs Argentina, 3-1
Round of 32 - Match 73: South Africa vs Canada, 1-0
Saturday, 27 June
Group H: Cape Verde vs Saudi Arabia, 0-0
Group H: Uruguay vs Spain, 1-0
Group G: New Zealand vs Belgium, 5-1
Group G: Egypt vs Iran, 1-1
Group L: Panama vs England, 2-0
Group L: Croatia vs Ghana, 2-1
Friday, 26 June
Group I: Senegal vs Iraq, 5-0
Group I: Norway vs France, 4-1
Group F: Tunisia vs Netherlands, 3-1
Group F: Japan vs Sweden, 1-1
Group D: Türkiye vs USA, 3-2
Group D: Paraguay vs Australia, 0-0
Thursday, 25 June
Group A: South Africa vs South Korea, 1-0
Group A: Mexico vs Czech Republic, 3-0
Group E: Curacao vs Ivory Coast, 2-0
Group E: Germany vs Ecuador, 2-1
Wednesday, 24 June
Group C: Brazil vs Scotland, 3-0
Group C: Morocco vs Haiti, 4-2
Group B: Qatar vs Bosnia-Herzegovnia, 3-1
Group B: Switzerland vs Canada, 2-1
Group L: Panama vs Croatia, 1-0
Group L: Colombia vs DR Congo, 1-0
Tuesday, 23 June
Group I: Norway vs Senegal, 3-2
Group J: Algeria vs Jordan, 2-1
Group K: Portugal vs Uzbekistan, 5-0
Group L: England vs Ghana, 0-0
Monday, 22 June
Group G: New Zealand vs Egypt, 1-3
Group J: Argentina vs Austria, 2-0
Group I: France vs Iraq, 3-0
Sunday, 21 June
Group E: Ecuador vs Curaçao, 0-0
Group F: Tunisia vs Japan, 0-4
Group G: Belgium vs Iran, 0-0
Group H: Spain vs Saudi Arabia, 4-0
Group H: Uruguay vs Cape Verde, 2-2
Saturday, 20 June
Group C: Brazil vs Haiti, 3-0
Group D: Turkey vs Paraguay, 0-1
Group E: Germany vs Ivory Coast, 2-1
Group F: Netherlands vs Sweden, 5-1
Friday, 19 June
Group A: Mexico vs South Korea, 1-0
Group C: Scotland vs Morocco, 0-1
Group D: USA vs Australia, 2-0
Thursday 18 June
Group L: Ghana vs Panama, 1-0
Group K: Uzbekistan vs Colombia, 1-3
Group A: Czech Republic vs South Africa, 1-1
Group B: Switzerland vs Bosnia & Herzegovina, 4-1
Group B: Canada vs Qatar, 6-0
Wednesday 17 June
Group K: Portugal vs DR Congo, 1-1
Group L: England vs Croatia, 4-2
Group J: Argentina vs Algeria, 3-0
Group J: Austria vs Jordan, 3-1
Tuesday 16 June
Group G: Iran vs New Zealand, 2-2
Group I: France vs Senegal, 3-1
Group I: Iraq vs Norway, 1-4
Monday, 15 June
Group E: Ivory Coast vs Ecuador, 1-0
Group F: Sweden vs Tunisia, 5-1
Sunday, 14 June
Group C: Haiti vs Scotland, 0-1
Group D: Australia vs Turkey, 2-0
Group E: Germany vs Curaçao, 7-1
Group F: Netherlands vs Japan, 2-2
Saturday, 13 June
Group D: USA vs Paraguay, 4-1
Group B: Qatar vs Switzerland, 1-1
Group C: Brazil vs Morocco, 1-1
Friday, 12 June
Group A: South Korea vs Czech Republic, 2-1
Group B: Canada vs Bosnia & Herzegovina, 1-1
Thursday, 11 June
Group A: Mexico vs South Africa, 2-0
Anish Vij