Argentina celebrated with a forbidden banner

Argentine fans celebrated their World Cup semi-final win against England with a large display on the field, but the team now faces potential punishment from FIFA. The celebration included players holding up a political banner, which violates FIFA's long-standing policy against political messages on the field or in the stands.

Ahead of the semi-final, FIFA had intensified security measures due to political tensions between England and Argentina over the Falkland Islands. FIFA had reportedly informed Argentinian media outlet Clarín that any references to the islands, the subject of a 1982 war between the two countries, would not be permitted during the match. Despite this, the Argentine players displayed a banner reading "Falklandsöarna är argentinska" (Falkland Islands are Argentine) during their victory celebration in Atlanta.

Argentine Vice President Victoria Villaroel shared posts on X, formerly Twitter, featuring the players and the banner, stating, "Falklandsöarna är argentinska! They forbade us to bring them to the stadium but they forgot that we carry them with us in our blood and in our hearts." Reports suggest the initiative came from the players themselves, with Lisandro Martinez and Giovani Lo Celso reportedly bringing out the banner. Argentina, who will play in their second consecutive World Cup final on Sunday, could face fines. The team was previously fined approximately 260,000 Swedish kronor for a similar incident during a friendly match against Slovenia in 2014.

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We will of course remember those people (who died in the war). But it is a football match – we should not mix it.