British government tells FIFA to probe Argentina over Falklands banner celebration

The UK has asked FIFA to examine Argentina players displaying a Falklands claim banner after beating England. Argentina defeated the Three Lions 2-1 in Atlanta to reach the final.

In Short

• Argentina beat England 2-1 in Atlanta to reach the World Cup final
• Players held a fan-passed banner declaring the Malvinas belong to Argentina
• Peter Kyle called the gesture entirely inappropriate and demanded scrutiny from FIFA

The UK government has called on FIFA to examine Argentina's post-match celebrations after several players displayed a banner asserting the country's claim over the Falkland Islands following their World Cup semi-final victory over England.

Argentina defeated England 2-1 in Atlanta on Wednesday to secure a place in the World Cup final. After the final whistle, members of the squad were seen holding up a banner passed to them by supporters that read, "Las Malvinas son Argentinas" ("The Malvinas are Argentine"), referring to the disputed South Atlantic islands known in Britain as the Falkland Islands.

Reacting to the incident, UK Business Secretary Peter Kyle described the gesture as "entirely inappropriate" and said FIFA should look into the matter.

"Politics needs to be separate from football," Kyle told the BBC. "In fact, the World Cup has one of its central tenets that politics is separate from football.

"That is now a matter for FIFA. I expect FIFA to do its investigation thoroughly."

WHAT'S THE FALKLAND ISLANDS DISPUTE?

The dispute over the Falkland Islands has long added political significance to meetings between England and Argentina. The archipelago, a British Overseas Territory with a population of roughly 3,500, lies around 480 kilometres off Argentina's coast but nearly 13,000 kilometres from the United Kingdom.

Argentina maintains that the islands were unlawfully seized by Britain in 1833, while the UK argues its claim dates back to 1765 and says it reasserted control after removing Argentine forces attempting to establish authority over the territory.

The disagreement escalated into armed conflict in 1982 when Argentina invaded the islands, sparking a 10-week war. Britain ultimately regained control, with the conflict claiming the lives of 649 Argentine military personnel, 255 British service members and three civilians from the islands.

CAN FIFA PUNISH ARGENTINA?

FIFA may now be forced to review the incident, as its Stadium Code of Conduct for the World Cup prohibits political, offensive or discriminatory messages from being displayed on banners, flags, apparel or any other material inside stadiums.

As of now, FIFA are yet to comment on the matter. Argentina will face Spain in the World Cup final on Sunday, July 19.

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