Argentina face the prospect of disciplinary action from FIFA after their players celebrated the World Cup semi-final win against England with a banner in support of their country’s claims to the Falkland Islands.
The defending world champions produced a dramatic late comeback in Atlanta, scoring twice to defeat Thomas Tuchel’s side 2-1 and book a showdown with Spain in Sunday’s final.
After the final whistle, Argentina players celebrated while holding a banner reading “Las Malvinas son Argentinas”, which translates as “The Falklands are Argentine”.
The Falklands, a British overseas territory in the south-west Atlantic Ocean, remain the subject of a sovereignty dispute between the UK and Argentina.
Downing Street backed calls for Fifa to investigate, with the prime minister’s official spokesperson saying: “The World Cup might not be ours, but the Falkland Islands definitely are. Our commitment to the Falklands will never waver.”
Argentina, ruled at the time by a military junta led by General Leopoldo Galtieri, invaded the islands, situated 300 miles off Argentina’s east coast, in 1982.
The conflict, which lasted for 74 days between April to June 1982, led to the deaths of 655 Argentine and 255 British servicemen. Three people from the islands also died.
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