Downing Street has backed calls for Fifa to investigate Argentina’s players who celebrated their World Cup semi-final victory over England by brandishing a banner about the Falkland Islands on the pitch.
In response to the post-match stunt, Keir Starmer’s official spokesperson said: “The World Cup might not be ours, but the Falkland Islands definitely are.
“Our commitment to the Falklands will never waver.”
The world football governing body bans political gestures.
Its code of conduct prohibits “banners, flags, flyers, apparel and other paraphernalia that are of a political, offensive, and/or discriminatory nature” inside stadiums.
No 10’s official said any potential action is a “matter for Fifa”, but asked whether the prime minister agrees with his Cabinet minister that there should be an investigation, they replied: “I would echo that position.”
In 2014, Fifa fined the Argentine Football Association £20,000 after a friendly against Slovenia because players held up a banner with the same sentiment.
Argentina boss Lionel Scaloni had said before the game he did not want the fixture to become about the conflict over the British overseas territory.
However, after his side came from 1-0 down with five minutes left to win 2-1 to reach a second successive World Cup final, players held up a banner that read “Las Malvinas son Argentinas” which translates to “The Falkland Islands are Argentinian”.
Argentina fans hold a banner with the words “The Malvinas are Argentinian”. Credit: AP
Argentina vice-president Victoria Villarruel had described England as “invaders” and “usurping pirates” in the build-up to the fixture, and tweeted a victory message at full-time by saying, “it wasn’t just another match” alongside a video of what appeared to be Argentinian soldiers.
She also shared a photograph of the team holding the banner.
Earlier, senior minister Peter Kyle has said that Argentina’s players’ behaviour was “entirely inappropriate.”
Asked about Argentina’s players brandishing the banner, Business Secretary Mr Kyle said on BBC Breakfast: “Politics needs to be separate from football, in fact, the World Cup has one of its central tenets that politics is separate from football.”
He said that “that is now a matter for Fifa”, adding that he expects Fifa to investigate “thoroughly”.
Asked whether Downing Street agrees with Mr Kyle’s characterisation of the behaviour as an “egregious violation” of the rules, she added: “Any action taken is a matter for Fifa, I’ll leave it for them. I’d point you to the Business Secretary’s words this morning.”
Political tensions linger between Argentina and Great Britain over the Falkland Islands, which boiled over into conflict in 1982.
Argentina has repeatedly claimed sovereignty over the Falkland Islands, which are about 8,000 miles from Britain and 300 miles from mainland Argentina.
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