Members of the United Kingdom government called on Thursday for an investigation by world football’s governing body, FIFA, into the “Las Malvinas son argentinas” (the Malvinas are Argentine) flag that a few Argentina players picked up and displayed after they beat England 2-1 in the World Cup semifinal.
The UK’s Business Secretary Peter Kyle called the display of the flag “an egregious violation of the rules of not having political activity as part of the football” while talking to the BBC, adding that he expects “FIFA to do its investigation thoroughly.”
He was backed by the UK’s outgoing Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, who told The Guardian that “the World Cup might not be [England’s], but the Falkland Islands definitely are.”
Starmer defined the case as “potential action is a matter for FIFA,” insisting that “politics should stay out of football.”
The display of the flag sparked controversy in the UK.
