FIFA told to ban Argentina stars from World Cup final over controversy | Football | Sport

Liberal Democrats leader Ed Davey has called for FIFA to ban certain members of Argentina’s national team ahead of the World Cup final. This comes after numerous players in Lionel Scaloni’s squad taunted the English at the end of Wednesday’s semi-final in Atalanta by parading a banner that read ‘The Falklands are Argentine’ (in Spanish).

England‘s search for World Cup glory was ripped apart in heartbreaking fashion after Thomas Tuchel’s side conceded twice late on to lose 2-1after Anthony Gordon had put them ahead. Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez then scored twice in the space of seven minutes to put Argentina through to a second consecutive World Cup final. Some of their players then gleefully touted the banner they had retrieved from the stands, with Tottenham defender Cristian Romero and Real Betis midfielder Giovani Lo Celso among the main culprits seen holding it aloft.

A number of other Argentina players were spotted happily running alongside the banner as they revelled in their comeback win. However, Romero and Lo Celso appeared to be the main figures involved in promoting it around the pitch at Atlanta Stadium.

The Falkland Islands are governed by Great Britain but have been disputed as an Argentine territory for centuries. Tensions boiled over in 1982 when the Falklands War erupted over a 10-week period, and it remains a very sensitive issue today.

Lib Dems leader Davey took to X on Thursday morning after seeing the actions of some Argentina players in Atlanta. And he cited a FIFA precedent to illustrate that there’s a serious basis for such a suspension.

He wrote: “In August 2024, Rodri and Alvaro Morata were rightly banned for one match for singing ‘Gibraltar is Spain’. Now the Argentine players who celebrated with the ‘Falklands are Argentine’ banner must be barred from the final.”

Davey later published a letter addressed to FIFA President Gianni Infantino, which read: “I am writing to you on behalf of the Liberal Democrats to express our profound concern regarding the unacceptable political demonstration by members of the Argentina men’s national football team on 15 July 2026. Following their semi-final match against England at Atlanta Stadium, several Argentine players unfurled and posed with a banner declaring that the Falkland Islands are Argentine.

“The Falkland Islands are British, and their sovereignty is undisputed, underpinned by the democratic self-determination of their people. By reviving this baseless territorial claim on a global sporting stage, these players have directly insulted the people of the islands. This display is a deeply painful affront to the memory of the British veterans and Falklanders who laid down their lives defending the freedom and sovereignty of the Falklands in 1982, as well as to the families they left behind.

“Such behaviour directly violates the core principles of political neutrality that FIFA and the International Football Association Board are bound to protect. Specifically, this act runs afoul of FIFA’s own Stadium Code of Conduct for the 2026 World Cup, which strictly prohibits: any materials, including but not limited to banners, flags, fliers, apparel and other paraphernalia, that are of a political, offensive and/or discriminatory nature, containing wording, symbols or any other attributes aimed at discrimination of any kind against a country, private person or group on account of race, skin colour, ethnicity, national or social origin, […] or on any other grounds.

“There is direct, clear precedent for swift and decisive action in these circumstances. In August 2024, UEFA handed a one-match suspension to Spanish national team players Rodrigo Hernández Cascante (Rodri) and Álvaro Morata for leading chants of “Gibraltar is Spanish” during their post-tournament celebrations. UEFA rightly ruled that bringing territorial, political disputes into the sporting arena violates the basic principles of decent conduct, brings the sport of football into disrepute, and constitutes a non-sporting manifestation.

“FIFA must hold its competitors to the same ethical standards. On behalf of British football fans, the people of the Falkland Islands, and our veterans, I call on the FIFA Disciplinary Committee to take immediate action before the World Cup Final on Sunday, 19 July 2026. The players who actively held, posed with, and promoted this political banner must be issued an immediate one-match ban, disqualifying them from participating in the final.

“FIFA has a serious commitment to peace after giving Donald Trump the first FIFA Peace Prize, and this is your chance to show it. Football is a game meant to unite the world, allowing players to use FIFA’s global platform to push aggressive and jingoistic territorial claims entirely undermines the integrity of the sport. We expect FIFA to act swiftly to protect its own regulations and ensure that the integrity of the World Cup Final is preserved.”

Rodri and Morata were served one-match bans for using the Gibraltar chant after beating England in the Euro 2024 final. However, this instance could be far more damaging given the World Cup 2026 final has yet to take place.

Argentina will face Spain in New Jersey on Sunday as another final involving two international heavyweights takes place. Lionel Messi & Co can become the first team in more than 60 years to lift successive World Cups, with Brazil the last to do so in 1962.

However, La Albiceleste’s chances would be considerably weakened if any of their players were indeed banned by FIFA. Romero, in particular, has been a rock in defence alongside Manchester United’s Lisandro Martinez and would represent a devastating loss.

Any punishment could also depend on which players were seen taking part in any Falklands-based chanting, not just who unfurled the banner. However, Scaloni may be feeling the pressure as he awaits any potential fallout ahead of Sunday’s decider with Spain.