Argentina Raises Political Banner After World Cup Match, Risking FIFA Rules

2026 World Cup Key News

(Central News Agency, Atlanta, 15th -综合 foreign media report) Argentina defeated England 2-1 today to advance to the World Cup final. After the match, players raised a political banner stating 'The Malvinas Islands (i.e., Falkland Islands) belong to Argentina,' potentially violating regulations set by the International Football Federation (FIFA).

According to AFP, Argentina faced England today in the World Cup semifinal held in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, against the backdrop of an unresolved sovereignty dispute over the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic. Argentina refers to the Falkland Islands as the Islas Malvinas.

After their victory, Argentine players Lisandro Martinez and Giovani Lo Celso held up a banner reading 'Las Malvinas son Argentinas' ('The Malvinas are Argentine') and waved smilingly toward fans in the stands. It remains unclear where the banner originated.

Reuters reported that FIFA's 'Stadium Code of Conduct' explicitly prohibits 'banners, flags, leaflets, clothing, and other items of a political, offensive, and/or discriminatory nature' inside stadiums.

FIFA has not yet responded to requests for comment.

The UK and Argentina fought a brief war in 1982 over control of the islands, which ended in a British victory. The conflict resulted in 649 Argentine and 255 British military deaths.

However, Argentina has long claimed sovereignty over the islands, asserting it inherited them from Spain after independence in 1816 and considers the British occupation in 1833 an illegal colonial act.

This is not the first political display at this World Cup. Last month, during a group stage match in Los Angeles, California, Iranian-American spectators waved Iran's pre-Islamic Revolution flag—a symbol of protest against the Tehran regime—during Iran's game. The match proceeded without incident.

The Guardian reported that Argentina was trailing 0-1 with five minutes remaining but scored two goals to complete a comeback, advancing to their second consecutive World Cup final. They will now face Spain for the prestigious FIFA World Cup Trophy on the 19th in the United States (20th in Taiwan time) in New Jersey.

(Translation: Tsai Chia-min) 1150716

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