Argentinian players held a banner referencing the Falkland Islands on the pitch after knocking England out of the World Cup in the semi-final on Wednesday (15 July).
During full-time celebrations, the players took the sign from their supporters, which read “Las Malvinas son Argentinas,” translating as “The Falklands are Argentinian.”
Political tensions linger between the two nations over the Falkland Islands, known as “Las Malvinas” in Argentina.
Argentina has repeatedly claimed sovereignty over the Islands, a British overseas territory, which are around 8,000 miles from Britain and 300 miles from mainland Argentina. Tensions resulted in a conflict in 1982.
A meeting involving the FBI, Fifa, and local police addressed the deep-seated historical animosity between the nations and potential fan escalation ahead of the match.
Fifa rules state that political slogans are banned from being displayed on the pitch or on players’ equipment.
