Argentina is at risk of being sanctioned by FIFA after its players celebrated with a Falkland Islands banner following its semi-final win over England on Wednesday.
After the team’s dramatic comeback victory at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, midfielder Giovani Lo Celso appeared on the field with a banner saying, “Las Malvinas son Argentinas,” which translates to “The Malvinas are Argentine.”
Lo Celso held the banner, which appeared to have first been displayed by supporters in the crowd, with defender Nicolas Otamendi, only to then briefly put it away. He then laid it out on the pitch.
Argentina’s Cristian Romero and Giovani Lo Celso holding the banner (Thomas Coex / AFP via Getty Images)
The International Football Association Board (IFAB), football’s lawmakers, and FIFA have a clear stance on political flags, slogans and symbols being displayed.
“Equipment must not have any political, religious or personal slogans, statements or images. Players must not reveal undergarments that show political, religious, personal slogans, statements or images, or advertising other than the manufacturer’s logo,” IFAB’s rulebook states.
“For any offence the player and/or the team will be sanctioned by the competition organiser, national football association or by FIFA.”
It is standard practice for FIFA to wait until the various match reports are submitted to it from the game before making any kind of decision.
Once FIFA has received those reports, it will make an assessment and decide on what the next steps should be. There is no set timeframe for any decisions to be made.
FIFA has been approached for comment.
The banner in the crowd as fans celebrated Argentina’s win. (Reuters / Paul Childs)
‘Las Malvinas’ is the term used in Argentina for the Falkland Islands, a British dependency which lies around 300 miles (480 km) off the east coast of mainland Argentina.
The dispute dates back to British invasions of Argentina in the Napoleonic Wars in the early 19th century. Britain initially claimed the Falklands in 1774 and reasserted its rule in 1832. In 1982, Argentina’s military government invaded in an attempt to take the territory from the United Kingdom. The conflict lasted from April 2 to June 14 and ended with an Argentine surrender. In all, three civilians, 255 British and 649 Argentine troops died.
If the banner unfurled is deemed to be political in nature, it would also contravene FIFA’s stadium code of conduct.
“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,” FIFA’s list of prohibited items reads.
In June, FIFA saw its ban on pre-revolutionary Iran flags at the World Cup upheld at a court hearing in Los Angeles after it was subject of a last-minute lawsuit.
Argentina, the reigning world champion, will play Spain at MetLife Stadium on Sunday and could become only the third team to win back-to-back World Cups.
What has the reaction to the banner been?
A number of UK politicians criticised the Argentina team on Thursday for displaying the flag referencing the Falklands, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer calling any potential sanctions a matter for FIFA.
Argentina vice president Victoria Villarruel, meanwhile, who had also referenced the Falklands before Wednesday’s semi-final, voiced her support for the banner.
A spokesperson for Starmer told reporters: “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.”
Ed Davey, the leader of the Liberal Democrats, the third largest political party in the House of Commons, suggested the Argentina players involved should be suspended from the World Cup final. Davey cited the example of Spain midfielder Rodri and striker Alvaro Morata, who both received one-match bans from UEFA for chanting “Gibraltar is Spanish” during Spain’s 2024 European Championship victory parade. The two players were referencing the area at the southern tip of the Iberian peninsula, which is British territory.
Villarruel posted a photo on X of the Argentina team celebrating with the flag, accompanied with the caption: “The Falklands are Argentine! They banned bringing them to the stadium and forgot that we carry them in our blood and our hearts.”
Argentina midfielder Leandro Paredes, who started his side’s semi-final win, said those involved in the conflict had been a motivating factor for Wednesday’s game.
“Sadly, it is a sad part of our history — for everyone involved in that chapter of, I repeat, our history,” he told BBC Sport. “And it hurts.
“We knew we were playing for them, too. For all the people, for our entire nation. I believe we did it in the best possible way.”