Reactions continue in the United Kingdom to the Argentine national team players' celebration with a flag bearing the phrase 'Malvinas (Falkland) Islands are Argentine', after qualifying for the 2026 World Cup final at the expense of England (2-1).

According to the Argentine network 'TYC Sports', the British government had requested the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) to open an investigation into the incident, which followed the semi-final match, without any official response from the federation, before one of the most prominent British politicians escalated his criticism of FIFA's leadership.

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Sir Ed Davey, leader of the Liberal Democrats, the third-largest political force in the United Kingdom, called for England to withdraw from the International Federation of Association Football and work to establish a new international body in cooperation with the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and other federations.

In a video clip he posted on his social media accounts, Davey said that 'this World Cup revealed the extent of FIFA's total collapse', citing the international federation's failure to intervene in the Argentine players' celebration with the flag related to the Malvinas/Falkland Islands, along with the controversy sparked by the inclusion of United States player Folarin Balogun in the quarter-final match against Belgium, despite his sending-off in the round of 16.

Sir Ed Davey said: 'From the highly suspicious spectacle when Donald Trump personally called Gianni Infantino to cancel a red card for the United States, to FIFA's slow inaction in the face of Argentina's provocative maneuver with the Falklands flag, Infantino has crossed one red line after another.'

He added: 'He (Infantino) has allowed political interference and institutional greed, completely destroying the integrity of our beautiful sport. When will we put a stop to this? It is time for the FA (English Football Association), UEFA, and the European governing bodies to step forward and lead a coordinated withdrawal and withdraw... Let us cooperate with other federations to build a clean and transparent governing body that truly prioritizes fans.'