Argentina might use a loophole to dodge a FIFA penalty for showing the Falklands flag.
Argentina will be hoping to avoid any FIFA punishment after showing a flag that said “The Falkland Islands are Argentine” following their 2-1 win against England in the World Cup semi-final.
Even though they were behind for most of the second half, late goals from Enzo Fernández and Lautaro Martínez helped Argentina reach an exciting final against European champions Spain at MetLife Stadium in New York/New Jersey on July 19.
Some Argentina players might face a FIFA penalty because they showed a message saying “Las Malvinas son Argentinas,” which means “The Falklands are Argentine.”
The Falkland Islands lie about 300 miles off Argentina’s coast and 8,000 miles from the UK. Argentina invaded the islands in 1982, but after 10 weeks, British forces regained control and Argentine troops surrendered. During the conflict, 655 Argentine and 255 British soldiers died, along with three civilians. The islands remain a disputed territory between the two countries.
After the banner was shown, the UK government said, “The World Cup might not be ours, but the Falkland Islands definitely are,” and stressed that the islanders’ right to self-determination is their key stance. They also stated that Prime Minister Keir Starmer thinks FIFA should investigate Argentina’s actions.
On July 16, a FIFA spokesperson said they are reviewing the match reports and the situation before deciding on any next steps, in line with FIFA’s Disciplinary Code.
FIFA rules clearly say players and officials cannot show political, religious, or personal messages during matches or official events. Argentina was fined £20,000 in 2014 for showing a similar banner before a friendly game against Slovenia.
Argentina’s full-back Gonzalo Montiel said the banner was thrown onto the pitch by a fan, and the players picked it up. Journalist Nelson Castro agreed and said someone from the crowd threw it onto the field and players took it.
It’s not yet clear if this might help Argentina’s case if FIFA decides to punish them, since the banner wasn’t brought by the players themselves.
The Falkland Islands government expressed disappointment about the banner, calling it insensitive, especially since the islands were invaded in 1982, which caused much pain. They asked FIFA to act, saying politics should stay out of sports, and they thanked the UK government for their support. They hope FIFA will follow through on their promise to keep politics separate from football and punish any behavior that breaks these rules.