Argentina faces the possibility of sanctions from FIFA after its players celebrated reaching the World Cup final by raising a banner reading 'Las Malvinas son Argentinas' ('The Malvinas (Falklands) are Argentine') following a thrilling 2-1 victory over England in the semi-final.

The defending champions Argentina came from behind in the final minutes of the match held in Atlanta to secure their spot in the highly anticipated final against Spain. However, the celebration scenes sparked widespread controversy as the players carried a politically charged message related to the historic dispute between Argentina and Britain over the Falkland Islands, known in Argentina as the Malvinas.

Related news

The islands, located in the South Atlantic, are a British Overseas Territory but have been subject to a sovereignty dispute between the two countries for decades. The two sides fought a 74-day war in 1982 that resulted in the deaths of 655 Argentine soldiers, 255 British soldiers, and three islanders.

This is not the first time this slogan has caused controversy. In 2014, FIFA fined the Argentine Football Association after players displayed the same banner before a friendly match against Slovenia, considering it a violation of regulations prohibiting political messages in football competitions.

Despite the controversy, Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni had emphasized before the match the need to separate sports and politics, insisting that the game should remain within its sporting context out of respect for the war victims and the history of the two countries. He said, 'It is a football match, and we should not mix things up, especially out of respect for what happened many years ago.'

It is worth noting that the Argentina-England match was held under heightened security measures due to the sensitive historical relationship between the two countries. The match ended with Argentina winning with two late goals by Enzo Fernández and Lautaro Martínez, sending them to the final to face Spain.