In brief
- Argentine players held up a banner supporting their country's claim to the Falkland Islands after their semi-final win over England.
- They could face a fine as FIFA does not allow signs of political nature into the stadium.
World Cup finalists Argentina could face a FIFA fine after players celebrated their semi-final win over England with a banner declaring the Falkland Islands belonged to Argentina.
After the final whistle in the 2-1 win, several players held up a banner that read: "Las Malvinas son Argentinas", which translates to "The Falklands are Argentine".
Under FIFA rules, "banners, flags, flyers, apparel and other paraphernalia that are of a political, offensive, and/or discriminatory nature" are prohibited inside stadiums.
The sovereignty of the Falkland Islands, which are a British territory in the south Atlantic Ocean about 480km east of Argentina, remains a longstanding source of tension between Argentina and the United Kingdom.
The two countries fought a brief war after Argentina invaded the islands in 1982. The conflict claimed the lives of 649 Argentine and 255 UK soldiers.
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The UK won the war and retained control of the territory, with the majority of residents wishing to remain part of the UK.
Argentina continues to claim the territory as its own, arguing it inherited the islands from Spain after gaining independence in 1816, and that the UK seized them in 1833 through an illegal colonial act.
It's unclear how the banner came onto the pitch, but several Argentine players, including Lisandro Martínez and Giovani Lo Celso, held the banner during post-game celebrations.
FIFA did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
After the match, Argentine vice president Victoria Villarruel posted a tribute to the team on X, alongside a video that appeared to show Argentine soldiers during the Falklands War.
In 2014, FIFA fined the Argentine Football Association about $36,000 after Argentine players held up a similar sign following a friendly win against Slovenia.
Argentina and England have one of football's fiercest rivalries.
The most infamous match was at the 1986 World Cup, just four years after the war, when Diego Maradona scored the controversial "Hand of God" goal by punching the ball into the net with his left fist. Despite England's protests, the goal stood.
Maradona followed it up minutes later with the "goal of the century", helping Argentina to a 2-1 victory. They went on to win the World Cup.
There were plenty of fiery moments during Thursday's semi-final, with 19 fouls in the opening half.
English forward Jude Bellingham also clipped the back of the head of Argentina's Valentin Barco as the two sides exchanged words after the match.
— With additional reporting by the Reuters news agency.
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