Following its 2-1 win over England in the July 15 World Cup semifinals in Atlanta, Argentina’s national soccer team held up a banner reading “Las Malvinas son Argentinas” ("The Malvinas are Argentine") on the field. The British government is outraged at such audacity. Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s spokesman Peter Kyle denounced Argentina’s “flagrant violation of the rules” and demanded that the International Football Federation (FIFA) conduct an immediate investigation and sanction the Argentine team for holding up a political message which FIFA prohibits. Or, perhaps they are more miffed at being publicly reminded that Argentina claims sovereignty over the South Atlantic Islands, which Britain stole from it in 1833. In 1982, Britain and NATO launched an out-of-area war against Argentina for daring to take the islands back on April 2 of that year in defense of its claim to sovereignty.
At that time, Henry Kissinger and Margaret Thatcher were determined to “make a horrible example” of Argentina so that no government would again challenge the power of the British Empire. Kyle said an investigation and punishment are warranted because “politics should stay out of football.” Argentine Vice President Victoria Villarruel posted in support of the players on X, writing “The Malvinas are Argentine!” and shared footage of Argentina’s 1982 landing on the islands. As Britain’s global posture continues to decline and the world increasingly moves to reject neocolonialism in all its forms, it would certainly be a fitting move for it to finally give up its claim on the “Falkland Islands,” which has now been turned into a fortified NATO outpost.
In addition to the banner which players displayed, Argentine fans could be heard chanting, “for the Malvinas, for Diego, [a reference to soccer legend Diego Maradona], for Leo’s [Messi’s] last one (at the tournament).” Another chant added, “and stopping the invaders’ cart,” ("pararle el carro a los invasores), a reference to the 1982 Malvinas War. Diego Maradona is a beloved figure in Argentina. During the 1986 World Cup, he led the team in the historic June 22 defeat of the UK with his “Hand of God” goal, after which Argentina went on to win the World Cup against West Germany.
From London, the Argentine daily Pagina 12 reports that after Peter Kyle harumphed about Argentina’s rules violation, he provocatively added “the World Cup won’t be ours, but the Falkland Islands belong to us.… Our commitment to the Falklands will never waiver.” Various proposals are being raised as to how Argentina’s team members should be punished for holding up the banner.
