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Keir Starmer urges FIFA to investigate Argentina after players held Falklands banner

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer urges FIFA to investigate Argentina after players held a Falklands banner following a win against England.

Argentina’s celebrations got underway as soon as the final whistle blew, but a group of their players controversially displayed a banner.

It read “Las Malvinas son Argentinas”, which translates as “The Falklands are Argentine”.

The Falkland Islands, which is a British overseas territory, remain the subject of a long running sovereignty dispute between Britain and Argentina.

Argentina player Leandro Paredes said, as per Sky News: “Sadly, it is a sad part of our history for everyone involved in that chapter of, I repeat, our history.

“And it hurts. We knew we playing for them too. For all the people, for or entire nation.

“I believe we did it in the best possible way. We always wanted to convey that, for us it wasn’t just a football match. We were aware that it wasn’t just that.

“It was very important for our entire country. And I think we feel immense joy”

Argentina face Spain in Sunday’s final. Asked who Starmer would be supporting, his spokesperson said: “The PM wishes both teams well for the final, especially Spain.”

Asked for Starmer’s reaction to the sign, the spokesperson added: “The World Cup might not be ours, but the Falkland Islands definitely are. Our position is unchanged. Self-determination rests with the islanders and our commitment to the Falklands will never waver.

“More broadly, potential action is a matter for Fifa, but it’s been a fantastic World Cup and we’ve said throughout that politics should stay out of football.”

Keir had this to say back in 2024…

Peter Kyle, the business secretary told Times Radio: “You can imagine what I felt.

“This is now a matter for FIFA, and I hope FIFA do a proper inquiry into it.”

“When it comes to the Argentinians, I think the dignity with which our team acted, I think, is the perfect contrast, and really shows really shows you know them for their own behaviour by contrast.

“When it comes to the rest of it, FIFA need to really take the action that deserves to happen.”

Peter Reid said while on BBC Breakfast: “Listen, football’s a great sport. Hold your hands up if you’ve won, but there’s no need for that.

“I mean, they were singing songs about the Malvinas after they beat us, and it went off in the tunnel, to be fair, but there’s no need for that. You win and you lose gracefully.”.

Interviewer: “Sorry, when you say it went off in the tunnel, you were talking about back in…?”

Peter: “Yeah, in 86. Because they were jumping down singing about it. Obviously we were disappointed. Ay, we got an handball against us, so imagine how we felt, know what I mean?

“Shilton, Terry Butcher, and Terry Butcher’s no mean man to mess with, by the way.”

Interviewer: “Did seeing that last night surprise you? Given what you know of everything, did it surprise you?”

Peter: “Not really, because I think it’s… And by the way, I’ve been to Argentina many times as a coach, watching football, and I love the people, great, but that’s beyond the pale for me.”

Interviewer: “What do you think, I mean there’s expectation now that FIFA’s going impose a fine, is that enough?”

Peter: “What can they do? What else can they do, I don’t know. Unless they ring Donald Trump and he’s sorted out because obviously he runs FIFA, doesn’t he?”


A Prime Minister’s official spokeswoman said: “The World Cup might not be ours but the Falkland Islands definitely are.

“Our position is unchanged.

“Self-determination rests with the islanders.

“Our commitment to the Falklands will never waver.”

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said: “Whilst we are disgusted at the behaviour of some of the Argentinian players, the most important thing to do is build up the Royal Navy quickly.”

Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey, MP for Kingston and Surbiton: “The players who actively held, posed with, and promoted this political banner must be issued an immediate one-match ban, disqualifying them from participating in the final.”

Ex-Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith, MP for Chingford and Woodford Green, said to The Standard: “FIFA should at least fine the Argentine for breaking their rules.

“After all it is very inflammatory, we went to war with them over protecting the rights of the islanders.

Falklands War veteran Simon Weston told BBC Breakfast: “Many of the families of the bereaved from the Falklands, they were upset by it because they know the implications of that banner will create great disease for the um islanders who live under constant threat from Argentina.

“But all those people who seem to think that this is an okay thing to do and say, they need to understand that the Falklands has never been Argentinian and geography does not create ownership.

“People need to know these things. They need to know that Argentina was never a nation when we first occupied the islands. The Argentinians never lived there. The French were there before us. They couldn’t make it work.

“We sent down a huge number of Scottish hill farmers who did make it work. And the 44 years since the conflict, those same people have made a massive and positive legacy to the conflict as in tribute to the people who died protecting their freedom.”

The Lib Dems wrote to FIFA: “Dear President Infantino, I am writing to you on behalf of the Liberal Democrats to express our profound concern regarding the unacceptable political demonstration by members of the Argentina men’s national football team on 15 July 2026. Following their semi-final match against England at Atlanta Stadium, several Argentine players unfurled and posed with a banner declaring that the Falkland Islands are Argentine.

“The Falkland Islands are British, and their sovereignty is undisputed, underpinned by the democratic self-determination of their people. By reviving this baseless territorial claim on a global sporting stage, these players have directly insulted the people of the islands. This display is a deeply painful affront to the memory of the British veterans and Falklanders who laid down their lives defending the freedom and sovereignty of the Falklands in 1982, as well as to the families they left behind.

“Such behavior directly violates the core principles of political neutrality that FIFA and the International Football Association Board are bound to protect. Specifically, this act runs afoul of FIFA’s own Stadium Code of Conduct for the 2026 World Cup, which strictly prohibits:

“any materials, including but not limited to banners, flags, fliers, apparel and other paraphernalia, that are of a political, offensive and/or discriminatory nature, containing wording, symbols or any other attributes aimed at discrimination of any kind against a country, private person or group on account of race, skin colour, ethnicity, national or social origin, […J or on any other grounds.”

“There is direct, clear precedent for swift and decisive action in these circumstances. In August 2024, UEFA handed a one-match suspension to Spanish national team players Rodrigo Hernández Cascante (Rodri) and Álvaro Morata for leading chants of “Gibraltar is Spanish” during their post-tournament celebrations. UEFA rightly ruled that bringing territorial, political disputes into the sporting arena violates the basic principles of decent conduct, brings the sport of football into disrepute, and constitutes a non-sporting manifestation.

FIFA must hold its competitors to the same ethical standards. On behalf of British football fans, the people of the Falkland Islands, and our veterans, I call on the FIFA Disciplinary Committee to take immediate action before the World Cup Final on Sunday, 19 July 2026. The players who actively held, posed with, and promoted this political banner must be issued an immediate one-match ban, disqualifying them from participating in the final.

FIFA has a serious commitment to peace after giving Donald Trump the first FIFA Peace Prize and this is your chance to show it.

Football is a game meant to unite the world, Allowing players to use FIFA’s global platform to push aggressive and jingoistic territorial claims entirely undermines the integrity of the sport. We expect FIFA to act swiftly to protect its own regulations and ensure that the integrity of the World Cup Final is preserved

Yours sincerely,
Sir Ed Davey MP
Leader of the Liberal Democrats

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