No political messages are welcome in the stands or on the pitch. This has long been the position of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA).
Ahead of the semi-final, FIFA had increased security due to political tensions between England and Argentina over the Falkland Islands. The day before the match, FIFA announced, according to Argentine newspaper Clarín, that no shirts, flags or banners with references to the islands off the Argentine coast, which the countries fought a war over in 1982, were allowed during the match.
“Will always be Argentinian”
National team captain Lionel Scaloni said at the time that he did not intend to mix football and politics.
"Of course we remember those people (who died in the war). But it's a football match - we shouldn't mix it up," he said, according to the BBC.
However, that didn't stop the Argentine players from holding up a banner with the message: "The Falkland Islands are Argentine" during the victory celebration on the field in Atlanta.
"They will always be Argentine," midfielder Leandro Paredes said in an interview according to Tyc Sports.
Fines can wait
Vice President Victoria Villaroel posted several posts on X with similar messages. One of the posts shows a picture of the players and the banner, along with the text:
"The Falkland Islands are Argentine! They forbade us from bringing them to the stadium but they forgot that we carry them with us in our blood and in our hearts."
The British government was not as enthusiastic. Business Secretary Peter Kyle said in an interview with the BBC that the Argentine players' behaviour was inappropriate and that one of the basic principles of the World Cup is that politics and football should be kept separate.
"This is now a matter for Fifa. I expect Fifa to conduct its investigation thoroughly," he said.
Kyle's demand for an investigation has the support of Prime Minister Keir Starmer, a spokesperson for the Prime Minister told Sky. The spokesperson also shared Starmer's stance on the message on the controversial banner.
The World Cup trophy may not be ours, but the Falkland Islands definitely are.
Argentina, which will play its second World Cup final in as many championships on Sunday, could now face a fine. According to the BBC, the team was fined the equivalent of around 260,000 kronor for a similar act in a friendly against Slovenia in 2014.
