UK Urges FIFA Inquiry Over Argentina's Falklands Banner After World Cup Win
Updated
Updated · POLITICO Europe · Jul 16
UK Urges FIFA Inquiry Over Argentina's Falklands Banner After World Cup Win
3 articles · Updated · POLITICO Europe · Jul 16
Summary
Peter Kyle said Thursday he wants FIFA to conduct a “proper inquiry” after some Argentina players displayed a banner reading “Las Malvinas son Argentinas” following their World Cup victory over England.
Kyle called the sign “entirely inappropriate,” turning a post-match celebration into a diplomatic flashpoint over sovereignty of the Falkland Islands.
The banner asserts Argentina’s claim to the South Atlantic archipelago, which lies about 500 kilometers off Argentina’s coast but remains a U.K. territory.
The dispute carries deep historical weight because Britain and Argentina fought a war over the islands in 1982, making the players’ message especially sensitive in London.