UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has backed calls for FIFA to investigate Argentina players after some of them displayed a banner supporting Argentina’s claim over the Falkland Islands following their World Cup semi-final win against England. The banner, which read “Las Malvinas son Argentinas”, was shown after Argentina’s 2-1 victory in Atlanta on Wednesday.
Downing Street said Starmer supports Business Secretary Peter Kyle’s request for FIFA to examine whether any rules were broken. The issue has sparked criticism from UK officials and the Falkland Islands government ahead of Argentina’s World Cup final against Spain.
Keir Starmer backs FIFA investigation
After the match, several Argentina players held up a banner that read: “Las Malvinas son Argentinas”, using Argentina’s name for the Falkland Islands. The display quickly drew political attention in the UK.
Asked about the incident, Starmer’s spokesperson said: “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.”
The spokesperson also confirmed that Starmer supported Peter Kyle’s call for FIFA to investigate the matter. When asked who the prime minister would support in the final between Argentina and Spain, the spokesperson said: “The PM wishes both teams well for the final, especially Spain.”
{{/usCountry}}The spokesperson also confirmed that Starmer supported Peter Kyle’s call for FIFA to investigate the matter. When asked who the prime minister would support in the final between Argentina and Spain, the spokesperson said: “The PM wishes both teams well for the final, especially Spain.”
{{/usCountry}}Peter Kyle and Falklands government respond
Earlier on Thursday, Peter Kyle told the BBC that the banner was “an egregious violation of the rules of not having political activity as part of the football”.
He added: “The World Cup has one of its central tenets that politics is separate from football. That is now a matter for Fifa. I expect Fifa to do its investigation thoroughly.”
One of the players photographed with the banner was Argentina midfielder Giovani Lo Celso.
The Falkland Islands government also criticised the display. In a statement, it said: “The Falklands government is disappointed, though regrettably not surprised that the Argentine football team decided to tarnish the result of last night’s World Cup football semi-final, a game that did not in any case involve the Falkland Islands.
“That said, it is hardly news to anyone that the people of the islands were victims of an aggressive invasion in 1982, which left many traumatised. The banner displayed by Argentina last night, therefore, was particularly insensitive for many people in the Falklands … We hope Fifa will make good on their promise to keep politics out of sport, and sanction all behaviour of this nature in line with its own rules.”
Falklands controversy explained
The banner displayed by Argentina players after their World Cup semi-final win over England is linked to the long-running Falklands dispute between the UK and Argentina. Known as Las Malvinas in Argentina, the islands have been claimed by both countries for decades.
The dispute led to a war in 1982 after Argentina invaded the islands, with more than 900 people killed. While the UK maintains that the islands' future should be decided by their residents, Argentina continues to claim sovereignty. That history is why the post-match banner led to political reactions and calls for a FIFA investigation.