‘Malvinas are Argentinian’: World Cup holders celebrate win over England with Falklands banner

Argentina's World Cup semi-final victory over England was marked by a provocative display as players celebrated with a banner referencing the Falklands War.

The banner, emblazoned with "Las Malvinas son Argentinas" (The Malvinas are Argentinian), was held aloft by players Lisandro Martínez and Giovani Lo Celso. It directly references the 1982 conflict over the disputed territory, known as the Falkland Islands in Britain and Islas Malvinas in Argentina, which resulted in the deaths of over 900 people.

The Argentinian team staged a dramatic late comeback in the semi-final, scoring twice in quick succession to secure a 2-1 win and reach a second consecutive World Cup final. The victory was dedicated to "the Malvinas, to Diego [Maradona] and to Leo [Messi]'s last one," according to midfielder Rodrigo De Paul.

De Paul acknowledged the sensitive nature of the display, stating, "We have to understand that it’s a football match and that the Malvinas have to be discussed elsewhere." He added, "What happened was an atrocity and we always remember the fallen, but what we want is to win this match to get to the final."

FIFA's stadium code of conduct explicitly prohibits "political, offensive, and/or discriminatory" banners. It remains unclear where the banner originated, and FIFA had not immediately responded to a request for comment at the time of reporting. This incident follows other instances of political flags and messaging appearing at World Cup matches.

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We understand it’s a football game that transcends; it brings back memories of what Diego did. We sing songs about our Malvinas heroes, mainly to remember them, but we have to understand that it’s a football match and that the Malvinas have to be discussed elsewhere. What happened was an atrocity and we always remember the fallen, but what we want is to win this match to get to the final.