​Locals in Buenos Aires voiced support on Thursday for Argentina’s World Cup players who held up a banner declaring sovereignty over the Falkland Islands after their semi-final win over England, even as Britain urged FIFA to look into the incident. In Atlanta, several players displayed the banner reading “Las Malvinas Son Argentinas” (“The Falklands are Argentine”) following Argentina’s 2-1 victory over England. A Reuters photo captured the white, homemade-looking banner being initially waved by fans in the stadium’s front row. According to the Argentine newspaper Clarin, midfielder Giovani Lo Celso approached the supporters and asked to borrow it. Subsequent images showed him holding the banner up with centre-back Lisandro Martínez as the players celebrated, facing their supporters, before it eventually lay on the grass.
FIFA’s Stadium Code of Conduct forbids banners, flags, flyers, apparel and other paraphernalia that are political, offensive or discriminatory inside stadiums. FIFA had not announced any public sanction by Thursday and declined to comment when contacted by Reuters. In the past, similar actions by footballers have resulted in fines or match bans.
Meanwhile, British authorities weighed in on the matter: British business minister Peter Kyle told BBC Radio on Thursday that the incident should be formally investigated, emphasising that politics must be kept separate from the World Cup. Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey, in a public letter to FIFA President Gianni Infantino, condemned the act as insulting to the people of the Falklands and urged that the players be disqualified from the upcoming final.
The Falklands/Malvinas sovereignty dispute is a long-running source of tension between the two nations. The conflict culminated in a brief war in 1982, in which 649 Argentine soldiers and 255 British service members died.
Nearby a monument to the Argentine war dead in central Buenos Aires, locals Reuters spoke with expressed support for the team’s bold move. “It is very important that players, as public figures, share their opinions on issues that are so sensitive for us,” said 30-year-old Martín Aguirre. “We really appreciate the gestures by Lisandro Martínez and Giovani Lo Celso, because even though they know they could face sanctions or a problem over this, they still raised that flag.” Federico Schenone, 52, added that the gesture wasn’t about SEO or image, but about conveying a message that resonates with many Argentines.