Will FIFA punished Argentina for Falklands banner? What we know after World Cup final | Football | Sport
Some of the Argentine players held up a banner referencing the Falkland Islands (Image: Getty)
Will Argentina be punished for their Falkland Islands banner?
- What happened? Following the World Cup semi-final between Argentina and England, some Argentine players were seen holding a banner referencing the Falkland Islands. It read: “Las Malvinas son Argentinas,” which translates to: “The Falkland Islands are Argentine”.
- Why is it controversial? FIFA have a strict policy when it comes to players displaying political messaging, as the tournament is supposed to be a politics-free zone. Given the sensitivities surrounding the Falkland Islands dispute, including the war fought in the 1980s, there have been suggestions this move broke those rules.
- What have FIFA said? Following claims for an investigation, FIFA said: “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.”
- Will Argentina be punished? That’s for FIFA to decide now the tournament has concluded. A similar situation saw Rodri and Alvaro Morata pick up a one-match ban for comments on Gibraltar’s sovereignty following the 2024 European Championship, although that was mandated by UEFA.
- What is the position of the Falkland Islands? The people of the islands voted overwhelmingly to remain a British territory during a referendum in 2013. Politicians on the island reacted angrily to the stunt, with some urging FIFA to launch an investigation into the move.
