The White House has defended Argentina’s men’s football team over the controversial Falklands banner waved by players at the World Cup semi-final against England – claiming it as asserting their right to free speech.
Argentina face potential disciplinary action from Fifa after the men’s national team unveiled a banner after beating the Three Lions which read ‘Las Malvinas son Argentinas’, or ‘The Falklands are Argentine’, appearing to violate rules on political statements.
Andrew Giuliani, head of the White House Fifa task force, said that it was Argentina’s right to “make those statements” in the US due to the first amendment.
“We believe in our First Amendment rights here in the United States of America,” he said to journalists.
“I think this is going to be an unbelievable final, and in terms of the ability, the opportunity to be able to make those statements, they have the ability to do that in the United States of America.”
Downing Street has backed calls for Fifa to investigate the incident, with the prime minister's official spokesperson saying: "The World Cup might not be ours, but the Falkland Islands definitely are. Our commitment to the Falklands will never waver."
The Falklands, a British overseas territory in the south-west Atlantic Ocean, has remained a sovereignty dispute between the UK and Argentina. A 2013 referendum saw the islanders vote overwhelmingly to remain a British overseas territory.
In April 1982, Argentinian forces invaded the islands but were forced to surrender by June of the same year. The United States has maintained longstanding neutrality over the sovereignty dispute.
Wednesday’s match saw Argentina beat England in a brutal 2-1 match more than 20 years after they last met on the pitch. A total of four yellow cards were given, three to Argentina and one to England during the tense game.
The difficult match followed insistence from Argentina’s manager Lionel Scaloni that politics and football should not be mixed.
"The reality is that this is a football match. I can't mix things up, especially out of respect for what happened so many years ago," he said.
Fifa said their disciplinary committee are currently “assessing the match reports” before deciding whether to “take steps” over the incident which saw the Falklands banner being raised.
Argentina were previously fined by Fifa for holding up a banner with the same slogan after a friendly against Slovenia in 2024.
Spanish players Rodri and Alvaro Morata were banned for one match each by European football’s governing body Uefa after singing about their country’s claim to Gibraltar after winning Euro 2024.
Argentina and Spain will now play against each other in the final on Sunday which will see Lionel Messi go up against 19-year-old Lamine Yamal.
A Downing Street spokesperson said ahead of the final: “The PM wishes both teams well for the final, especially Spain.”
