Argentina celebrates win over England with Falklands banner. Why is this controversial?

Another win, another controversy. At the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Argentina has become controversy’s child. The Lionel Messi side once again kicked up a row in their 2-1 win against England in the semi-final.

After the ill-tempered game in Atlanta, some of the Argentine players held up a banner which read, ‘Las Malvinas son Argentinas’, which translates as, ‘The Falklands are Argentine’

Now, this celebration by the Argentinians puts them at risk of being sanctioned by FIFA.

But why is this banner controversial? What could happen next?

Argentina celebrates win with banner

The defending champions staged a stunning comeback once again in their match against England — they were down after England took the lead in the 55th minute through Anthony Gordon — with Enzo Fernandez equalising and Lautaro Martinez striking a last-minute goal to seal Argentina’s 2-1 win.

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When the final whistle blew at the Atlanta stadium, Argentina’s midfielder Giovani Lo Celso appeared on the field with a banner saying, “Las Malvinas son Argentinas,” which translates to “The Malvinas are Argentine.”

Argentina's midfielder Giovani Lo Celso adjusts a banner reading "The Malvinas (Falkland Islands) belong to Argentina," after winning the 2026 World Cup football tournament semi-final match between England and Argentina at the Atlanta Stadium in Atlanta. AFP

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.

The significance of the Malvinas banner

The banner held up by the Argentinian players refers to the long-standing dispute over the territory, which is referred to as the Falkland Islands in Britain and Islas Malvinas in Argentina. Since 1833, the archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean has been a British Overseas Territory.

The group of islands was believed to be completely uninhabited when they were discovered, which meant Britain settled there. This is disputed by activists in Argentina, who have long believed it should have sovereignty.

This came to a head in 1982 when the Argentine military dictatorship invaded it. At the time, Argentina didn’t expect an aggressive response from Britain. However, the British sent its fleet across the Atlantic, resulting in the 74-day Falklands War. The conflict led to 907 deaths — 649 Argentine military personnel, 255 from Britain, and three Falkland Islanders.

Argentine soldiers are seen on their way to occupy the captured Royal Marines base in Puerto Argentino/Port Stanley, a few days after the Argentine military dictatorship seized the islands Malvinas/Falklands, starting a war between the Argentina and the United Kingdom. File image/AFP

Years later, even today, the Falklands issue simmers. Britain claims sovereignty over the islands and maintains a military presence there, while Argentina continues to pursue its ambitions through diplomatic channels and international bodies, including the United Nations.

In fact, the Malvinas are enshrined in the Argentinian psyche. As Argentine journalist Nicolas Rotnitzsky told the BBC, “It’s part of the Argentine culture. It’s important to get our identity around what happened with the Malvinas. It’s about who we are.”

Even before the match, the Falkland issue reared its head. At the time, Argentina midfielder Rodrigo de Paul noted, “We understand it’s a football game that transcends, it brings back memories of what Diego did. We sing songs about our Malvinas heroes, mainly to remember them, but we have to understand that it’s a football match and that the Malvinas have to be discussed elsewhere. What happened was an atrocity, and we always remember the fallen, but what we want is to win this match to get to the final.”

A member of the honour guard of the Granaderos Regiment stands at the Malvinas memorial, dedicated to those who died in the 1982 war between Britain and Argentina in the Falkland Islands, known to Argentines as Malvinas in Buenos Aires, Argentina. File image/Reuters

However, it’s hard to keep politics and sport separate.

Before the Argentinians took on England, Argentina Vice-President Victoria Villarruel said the semi-final was “about putting the invaders in their place”. And after her side scored a win, she once again posted on X, “it wasn’t just another match” alongside a video of what appeared to be Argentine soldiers.

“The Falklands are Argentine,” Villarruel posted. “They banned bringing them to the stadium and forgot that we carry them in our blood and our hearts.”

Argentina likely to face FIFA action

However, the Argentinian celebration could risk the Lionel Messi-led team facing disciplinary action from FIFA.

That’s because 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,” states IFAB’s rulebook.

“For any offence, the player and/or the team will be sanctioned by the competition organiser, national football association, or by FIFA.”

FIFA’s Stadium Code of Conduct also bans “banners, flags, flyers, apparel, and other paraphernalia that are of a political, offensive, and/or discriminatory nature” inside stadiums.

Argentina's footballers pose for photographers holding a banner reading "The Malvinas/Falkland Islands are Argentine" before a friendly football match against Slovenia at La Plata stadium in La Plata, Buenos Aires, in 2014. File image/AFP

While FIFA has been reached for a comment, it’s unclear as to what punishment the Argentinians will face for the banner celebration. Any investigation would come just days before Argentina face Spain in Sunday’s World Cup final, where Messi and Co attempt to become the first nation since Brazil in 1962 to successfully defend the men’s World Cup title.

However, there are past cases that could provide some clues. In 2014, Argentina’s Football Association (AFA) was fined £19,540 after their players displayed a similar banner before a 2-0 friendly win against Slovenia in La Plata.

Will Argentina’s celebration cost them? Only time will tell.

With inputs from agencies