Argentina star shares ‘truth’ about Falkland Island flag as ‘expected punishment’ shared
Amid the fallout from Argentinian stars unfurling a provocative flag referring to the Falkland Islands, FIFA is weighing up whether to punish them - and one player has offered an explanation.
Politics is supposed to stay off the pitch during the World Cup, but it seems that the South American side didn't get the memo after their stunt on Wednesday (15 July).
Following their 2-1 win over the Three Lions in the semi-final clash, members of the team paraded around the stadium while clutching a banner that read 'Las Malvinas son Argentinas'.
This phrase translates to 'The Falkland Islands are Argentinian', and these five words could lead to Argentina being slapped with a punishment from FIFA ahead of Sunday's (19 July) final.
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The global governing football body confirmed it is 'considering' whether action should be taken against the team and is 'assessing match reports'.
"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 spokesperson for FIFA told LADbible. It is unclear if FIFA will launch a formal investigation into the incident.
England fans have been calling for Argentinian players to be penalised, given that 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'.
'Someone threw it onto the field'
Amid the controversy surrounding the Falklands banner, Argentinian defender Gonzalo Montiel offered an explanation about how it ended up in the hands of football aces after the showdown against England at the Atlanta Stadium.
The right back, 29, alleged: "They [fans] just threw one down from the stands and the boys grabbed it."
A host of their supporters were seen waving banners sporting messages with similar sentiments about the Falkland Islands during the game.
Argentinian journalist Nelson Castro also backed up Montiel's version of events and claimed: "Someone threw it onto the field, and they gave it to the players."
Javier Milei, the president of Argentina, then chimed in on the incident - and said it was ' perfectly valid and legitimate for the players to want to express themselves and do so'.
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has expressed his support for FIFA to take action against England's rivals.
When asked who he would be backing during Sunday's final, his spokesperson comically said: "The PM wishes both teams well for the final, especially Spain."
Discussing the banner, Starmer's spokesperson added: "The World Cup might not be ours, but the Falkland Islands definitely are. Our position is unchanged. Self-determination rests with the islanders and our commitment to the Falklands will never waver. More broadly, potential action is a matter for Fifa, but it’s been a fantastic World Cup and we’ve said throughout that politics should stay out of football."
The Falkland Islands Government has also had its say and shared a statement blasting the ‘insensitive’ display on the world's biggest sporting stage.
It read: "The Falkland Islands Government is disappointed – though 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.
"That said, it is hardly news to anyone that the people of the Islands were victims of an aggressive invasion in 1982, which left many traumatised. The banner displayed by Argentina last night, therefore, was particularly insensitive for many people in the Falklands."
The statement went on to say that the government wanted to keep politics out of sport and that it hoped Argentina would face sanctions from FIFA.
“It is the avowed policy of the Falkland Islands Government that we do not wish to see politics being brought into sport,” it continued.
"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."
Argentina's potential punishment
So, how could Argentina be sanctioned for the stunt?
Well, FIFA's disciplinary code indicates that the majority of incidents such as this which involve political gestures result in a financial penalty, and not a sanction relating to the sport or competition.
So the most likely outcome is a fine, as well as the possibility of a warning for future conduct of this nature in the sport.
Argentina have got form for this kind of thing, as they were fined £20,000 by FIFA after displaying a banner which read 'the Falkland Islands are Argentinian' at a friendly with Slovenia in 2014.
The Falkland Islands are a UK overseas territory, with islanders voting overwhelmingly to remain so in 2013.
In April 1982, Argentinian forces invaded the islands but were forced to surrender by June of the same year.
The scores every time England have played Argentina
2005 - Friendly - England 3 - 2 Argentina
2002 - World Cup, group stage - England 1 - 0 Argentina
2000 - Friendly - England 0 - 0 Argentina
1998 - World Cup, round of 16 - England 3 - 4 Argentina (penalties) - David Beckham red-carded
1991 - England Challenge Cup - England 2 - 2 Argentina
1986 - World Cup, quarter-finals - England 1 - 2 Argentina - Diego Maradona's 'hand of God' goal
1980 - Friendly - England 3 - 1 Argentina
1977 - Friendly - England 1 - 1 Argentina
1974 - Friendly - England 2 - 2 Argentina
1966 - World Cup, quarter-final - England 1 - 0 Argentina - referred to by Argentina as 'the theft of the century'
1964 - Taça das Nações - England 0 - 1 Argentina
1962 - World Cup, group stage - England 3 - 1 Argentina
1953 - Friendly - England 0 - 0 Argentina
1953 - Friendly - England 1 - 3 Argentina
1951 - Friendly - England 2 - 1 Argentina
England has won 60 percent of their World Cup clashes with Argentina.
Of their games overall, England has won 40 percent, Argentina 27 percent, and the rest have been draws.
Olivia Burke