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

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has wished both Argentina and Spain well ahead of Sunday's FIFA World Cup final, while making it clear where his sympathies lie after the controversy surrounding Argentina's post-match celebrations.

"The PM wishes both teams well for the final, especially Spain," Starmer's spokesperson said on Thursday when asked which side he would be backing in the title clash, as per a report in Guardian.

The remark comes a day after Argentina defeated England 2-1 in the semi-finals before some of their players celebrated by holding up a banner reading "Las Malvinas son Argentinas" ("The Falklands are Argentine"), referring to Argentina's long-standing claim over the British-controlled Falkland Islands.

Downing Street also backed calls by UK Business Secretary Peter Kyle for FIFA to investigate the banner display, saying politics should have no place in football.

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Responding to the controversy, Starmer's spokesperson said, "The World Cup might not be ours, but the Falkland Islands definitely are. Our position is unchanged. Self-determination rests with the islanders, and our commitment to the Falklands will never waver. More broadly, potential action is a matter for Fifa, but it’s been a fantastic World Cup, and we’ve said throughout that politics should stay out of football," as reported by Guardian.

The banner reignited tensions over the Falkland Islands, which have remained under British control since the 1982 war between the UK and Argentina. The dispute has long been a sensitive political issue and often resurfaces during football encounters between the two nations.

Argentina will take on Spain in the World Cup final on Sunday, with Starmer's pointed "especially Spain" remark adding a political edge to the build-up for the showpiece clash.