Argentina unfurled a Falklands-inspired flag after their 2-1 win over England to book their place in the World Cup final23:19, 15 Jul 2026Updated 14:05, 16 Jul 2026"It hurts": England fans reflect on England's World Cup semi-final knock out in MiamiArgentina could be punished for celebrating with a Falklands banner after their World Cup semi-final win over England. The defending champions unfurled a flag that read "The Malvinas are Argentine" as Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez completed a famous comeback.‌Tottenham Hotspur star Cristian Romero and Giovani Lo Celso held the banner as they celebrated in front of their fans in joyous scenes for Lionel Messi and co. However, they could face sanction for the politically-charged banner as the International Football Association Board (IFAB), football’s lawmakers, and FIFA have a clear stance on flags, slogans and symbols being displayed.‌'Las Malvinas' is a term used in Argentina for the Falkland Islands, a British overseas territory, off the coast of the South American countries' mainland.‌Get the latest World Cup news straight to your inbox by signing up to our Make Football Great Again newsletter now!The build-up to the semi-final was overshadowed by the political backdrop surrounding the history between the two nations after the 1982 Falklands War where the Argentinian government invaded in an attempt to take the territory from the United Kingdom. The war lasted 10 weeks where 649 Argentine and 255 British troops died, with three civilians losing their lives.‌FIFA could sanction the World Cup finalists for displaying the banner, which was placed on the pitch by former Manchester City defender Nicolas Otamendi. But if it isn't deemed political, it would break FIFA's stadium code of conduct, which prohibits material of a political nature, among others.“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.” Mirror Football have approached FIFA for comment.‌The on and off the pitch past between the two nations dominated the build-up to Tuesday's semi-final showdown. After their 3-1 win over Switzerland, the players were filmed celebrating and chanting about the Falklands, where they sung about beating the Three Lions 'for the Falklands'.The ill-feeling spilt over with footage emerging on social media depicting a Union Jack flag ignited on the outskirts of Buenos Aires. While Lionel Scaloni's side refused to be drawn on the political backdrop surrounding the fixture, it couldn't be ignored with the scenes at full-time in Atlanta reigniting the narrative ahead of the game.‌England missed out on reaching their first World Cup final for 60 years after a collapse in the dying embers of their semi-final showdown.Anthony Gordon put the Three Lions in front when he ghosted in front of his marker to break the deadlock in the second-half. However, Argentina piled on the pressure and the one-time winners eventually wilted as two goals in seven minutes from Fernandez and Martinez denied England a place in the World Cup final.Article continues belowJoin our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.