Argentina's controversial Falkland Islands banner after World Cup win over England draws FIFA investigation

FIFA has launched an investigation into the controversial Falklands banner unfurled by Argentina's players following their 2-1 victory over England in the 2026 World Cup semifinal on Thursday.

After the match, some Argentina players held up a controversial banner reading ‘Las Malvinas son Argentinas’, which translates as ‘The Falklands are Argentine,’ underscoring the country’s continued claim to the disputed islands.

The incident took place after the Argentine players made chants referring to the Falklands following their 3-2 victory over Egypt in the round of 16.

The Falkland Islands Government called it 'particularly insensitive' and does not intend to see politics being involved in sports, and also called on FIFA to take action.

More from Football News

FIFA to investigate Argentina over banner controversy 

FIFA has reportedly taken note of the incident, and its independent disciplinary committee is assessing the situation before deciding on its next course of action.

"As is standard procedure, FIFA's independent Disciplinary Committee is currently assessing the match reports and considering the relevant circumstances before deciding on potential further steps," a FIFA spokesperson said.

What happened during the Falklands war?

The UK and Argentina were engaged in a conflict over the Falkland Islands in 1982. The Falklands are an island region in the South Atlantic and are part of the British Overseas Territories.

Argentina claimed the islands were theirs and invaded the region. The war ended after 74 days when Argentina eventually surrendered, with the UK returning to control of the region.

Also Read | FIFA World Cup 2026: UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer wishes Argentina and Spain well ahead of final

The UK Government raised issues over the banner controversy, calling it offensive to the 255 British soldiers who died during the Falklands War. They further reiterated that the islands were 'definitely' theirs.

England's World Cup dream ended after losing to Argentina in the semifinal. Despite Anthony Gordon scoring for the Three Lions, Enzo Fernandez's equaliser and Lautaro Martinez's winning goal helped the defending champions advance to the final, where they would face Spain on Monday, July 20 (Sunday, July 19 in the US).