UK minister demands FIFA inquiry after Argentina players flaunt Falklands banner

Argentina's World Cup triumph over England on Wednesday night was swiftly overshadowed by a political storm after players celebrated with a banner declaring the Falkland Islands Argentine. The sign, unfurled in the aftermath of the semi-final in Atlanta, read “Las Malvinas son Argentinas” — “The Falkland Islands are Argentine.” Business Secretary Peter Kyle called on FIFA to investigate the “entirely inappropriate” display, telling Times Radio on Thursday that world football’s governing body should “do a proper inquiry.” Kyle praised the “dignity” of England’s players, saying their behaviour was “the perfect contrast” to that of the Argentinian team. Among those holding the banner were Manchester United’s Lisandro Martinez, Liverpool’s Alexis Mac Allister and Tottenham’s Cristian Romero — all of whom play for top U.K. clubs. The match was already charged with political tension: in the run-up to the game, Argentina’s Vice-President Victoria Villarruel described England as “invaders.” The remote archipelago, located around 500 kilometres off Argentina’s coast, has been a British territory since the 1982 war, but Argentina continues to claim it. FIFA’s rules ban political gestures at matches, including banners “of a political, offensive, and/or discriminatory nature.” With the banner row escalating, there were also calls for the players’ visas to be revoked. “FIFA need to really take the action that deserves to happen,” Kyle said, underscoring the anger in London over the incident.