Argentina players flew an interesting banner on the pitch after their World Cup semi-final victory over England on Wednesday. For some it was fun and a part of history. For others it was controversial.
Albiceleste had come from behind to beat England 2-1, a sweet, emotional ending to their game. Lisandro Martinez and Giovani Lo Celso carried the banner on the pitch, all smiles. It is not clear where they got it, but it read: Las Malvinas son Argentinas. Or in English: The Falklands are Argentine.
The Falklands is the name for an archipelago in the south Atlantic ocean. They are called the Malvinas in Argentina, hence Las Malvinas. The islands have been a disputed territory between Argentina and England for a long time and in 1982, it was invaded by the Argentine government, who sought to take control of it from Britain. Britain had claimed the islands during the colonial period.
— Selección Argentina in English (@AFASeleccionEN) July 15, 2026
The 1982 conflict, known as the Falklands war, lasted 74 days and claimed more than 900 lives, including 649 Argentinians and 255 Britons. But due to the tension accompanying the whole affair, it has entered the background of many major events involving England and Argentina.
In fact, just four years after the war, Argentina faced England in a World Cup quarter-final match, which Argentina won thanks to Diego Maradona scoring with the famous Hand of God. The victory was framed as Argentina getting one over England, a sort of payback away from the military scene.
The historical rivalry has continued since, although it is now mostly just repeated, especially in football, for fun and to draw emotional energy from past events, rather than any serious political intentions.
After beating Switzerland in the quarter-finals of this year’s tournament, the Argentina players also chanted a song relating to the Falklands in the dressing room. “Las Malvinas, por Diego and por la ultima de Leo,” they sang (“for the Falklands, for Diego and for Leo’s last”), ‘Diego’ referring to Maradona’s achievements and ‘Leo’s last’ referring to Messi’s last World Cup.
Midfielder Rodrigo De Paul said after that game: “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.”
But Argentina could be facing a penalty for flying the banner. Fifa’s stadium code of conduct prohibits “banners, flags, flyers, apparel and other paraphernalia that are of a political, offensive, and/or discriminatory nature” inside venues.
Any decision on the matter, and any subsequent sanctions, will likely come after the World Cup is concluded.
