FIFA decision on Argentina ban after Falkland Islands flag row will have critical World Cup impact
Since the final whistle blew in the semi-final on Wednesday (15 July) there has been outcry over the behaviour from Argentinian players.
And that extends past the accusations of ‘favouritism’ throughout the tournament and the, well, shall we say ‘ill-mannered’ vibes of the match.
Following the crucial World Cup game against England, players from the Argentinian side unfurled a provocative flag referring to the Falkland Islands.
Fans also held signs in the crowd with the flag reading: “Las Malvinas son Argentinas,” meaning 'the Falkland Islands are Argentinian'.
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Complaints were quickly made with politics supposed to be kept off the pitch and FIFA called on to investigate.
And now, the footballing body has effectively made a critical decision on whether the players will be banned from Sunday's final as it is ‘assessing reports’ first - meaning there's no change to the starting XI.
“As is standard procedure, FIFA’s independent Disciplinary Committee is currently assessing the match reports and considering the relevant circumstances before deciding on potential further steps based on the FIFA Disciplinary Code," a FIFA spokesperson told LADbible.
The global governing football body’s own code of conduct prohibits ‘banners, flags, flyers, apparel and other paraphernalia that are of a political, offensive, and/or discriminatory nature’ inside stadiums.
But now it’s up to FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee to determine the punishment. But this reportedly won’t be imposed until the World Cup is over.
So, those players involved in the incident will still be able to play in Sunday’s final against Spain without any problems, Arancha Rodríguez reports.
Downing Street backed calls yesterday for a FIFA probe into the behaviour of Argentina.
“The World Cup might not be ours, but the Falkland Islands definitely are,” a Downing Street spokeswoman said.
“Our position is unchanged. Self-determination rests with the islanders.
“Our commitment to the Falklands will never waver.”
Asked about members of the team waving the banner, Business Secretary Peter Kyle told BBC Breakfast: “My reaction is that it was entirely inappropriate.
“Politics needs to be separate from football.
“In fact, the World Cup has one of its central tenets that politics is separate from football.”
He added: “We expect Fifa to undertake an investigation into this.
“I think it was certain to happen because it was such an egregious violation of the rules of not having political activity as part of the football.”
Back in 2024, FIFA fined the Argentine Football Association after a friendly against Slovenia as players held up a banner with the same sentiment.
Before Wednesday’s match against England, Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni had spoken about wanting to avoid mixing politics with football.
Days before the semi-final, Argentine foreign minister Pablo Quirno used an essay in La Nacion newspaper to claim the Falkland Islands population had been ‘artificially implanted by the occupying power’, which was flatly rejected by Downing Street.
In a statement from the Falkland Islands Government Office in London, officials expressed ‘disappointment’, as it said it was ‘regrettably not surprised that the Argentine football team decided to tarnish the result of last night's World Cup football semi-final - a game that did not in any case involve the Falkland Islands’.
"The banner displayed by Argentina last night, therefore, was particularly insensitive for many people in the Falklands," the statement continued.
"It is the avowed policy of the Falkland Islands Government that we do not wish to see politics being brought into sport. Nor do we wish the Islands and their people to be used as a political football in every conversation about England and Argentina. We welcome the UK government's supportive statement this morning.
"We hope Fifa make good on their promise to keep politics out of sport, and sanction all behaviour of this nature in line with its own rules."
Jess Battison