London, England – The crisis between Britain and Argentina escalated following the 2026 World Cup semi-final. This came after the British government asked FIFA to open an investigation and take action against the Argentine national team, due to the behavior of its players during the celebration of qualifying for the final match.
Argentina secured their place in the 2026 World Cup final after defeating England 2-1 in their semi-final match on Wednesday evening at the Atlanta Arena.
The Argentine national team players sparked controversy after the match when they celebrated by raising a banner that read: “The Malvinas Islands are Argentine.” This was a reference to the islands disputed between Argentina and Britain, prompting British officials to call for FIFA’s intervention.
British Business Secretary Peter Kyle called on FIFA on Thursday evening to launch an investigation into the incident. He argued that displaying the banner violated FIFA regulations prohibiting the use of political messages or slogans inside stadiums or during match-related events.
Kyle said, in comments reported by AFP: “Politics must stay out of football. This is one of the fundamental principles of the World Cup, and we expect FIFA to investigate this incident and take the necessary action”.
The criticism wasn’t limited to the Business Secretary. The office of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced its support for the call for an inquiry. A spokesperson for the Prime Minister said: “The World Cup may not be ours, but the Falkland Islands certainly are”.
Attention is now turning to FIFA, which is under pressure to investigate the incident. This comes amid regulations prohibiting the mixing of political issues with the sport.
