Thursday, July 16th 2026 - 10:29 UTC
The banner was reportedly thrown from the stands. FIFA's code of conduct prohibits political flags and items inside stadiums. Photo: SHAUN BOTTERILL / GETTY IMAGES
Argentina could face disciplinary action from FIFA after several of its players celebrated their World Cup semifinal win over England with a banner supporting Argentina's claim to the Falklands. The defending champions came from behind in Atlanta to win 2-1 and reach Sunday's final against Spain.
After the final whistle, Argentine players — among them Lisandro Martínez, Giovani Lo Celso, and Nicolás Otamendi — posed with a banner reading “Las Malvinas son Argentinas” (“The Falklands are Argentine”). According to several accounts, the banner was thrown from the stands and picked up by the players on the pitch. FIFA's stadium code of conduct prohibits flags and items of a political nature inside venues. As of this writing, the governing body had not announced the opening of proceedings or a sanction.
The Falklands, a British overseas territory in the South Atlantic, remain the subject of a sovereignty dispute between the United Kingdom and Argentina. The two countries fought a 74-day war in 1982, which began with the invasion of the islands by Argentina's then military junta, and in which 655 Argentine servicemen, 255 British servicemen, and three islanders died.
