FIFA say they are considering disciplinary action against Argentina after they celebrated knocking England out of the World Cup with a flag referencing the Falklands.
England’s semi-final against Argentina was played against a distinctly political backdrop, with the Falklands War still a bone of contention between the two nations, 44 years after its conclusion.
Argentina won the match 2-1 after a dramatic late comeback, and come the full-time whistle, a number of players celebrated by brandishing a flag which read “Las Malvinas son Argentinas,” or ‘the Falklands are Argentinian’.
Among those to pose with the flag were Cristian Romero and Lisandro Martinez, who currently play for Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United, respectively.
Players and supporters sang songs referencing the conflict. The same songs were also used in media shared through the Argentina national team’s social media channels.
In doing so, they contradicted the FIFA regulation which bans the use of political messaging at the World Cup, but it was not immediately clear whether the incident would be investigated.
A new statement from FIFA, however, confirms that ‘standard procedure’ will be followed.
A FIFA spokesperson told the Daily Mail: “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 based on the FIFA Disciplinary Code.”
It remains to be seen what punishment they will face, but a fine of up to $20,000 (£14,847) seems most likely. Players could also face suspensions.
A spokesperson for Prime Minister Keir Starmer added: “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.”
