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The British government on Thursday urged FIFA to investigate the Argentine team after players celebrating their 2-1 victory over England in the World Cup semifinals posed with a banner claiming sovereignty over the disputed Falkland Islands, ESPN reports.
During Wednesday’s post-match celebrations in Atlanta, Argentine players held a banner handed out by fans that read “Las Malvinas son Argentinas.”
Argentina refers to the Falkland Islands as Islas Malvinas. They were invaded in 1982 under orders from Argentina’s then military dictatorship, triggering a 10-week war won by Britain.
“The World Cup may not be ours, but the Falkland Islands definitely are,” a spokesman for Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Thursday. “Self-determination rests with the islanders and our commitment to the Falklands will never waver.”
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Starmer supported calls for Fifa to investigate, the spokesman said, after UK Business Secretary Peter Kyle said the players’ behavior was “completely inappropriate”.
FIFA can prosecute the players and the Argentine soccer federation because its disciplinary code prohibits in stadiums any “messages that are not appropriate for a sporting event,” including those of a “political, ideological, religious or offensive nature.”
In a statement to ESPN on Thursday, FIFA said: “As is standard procedure, the independent FIFA Disciplinary Committee is currently evaluating match reports and considering the relevant circumstances before deciding on possible additional measures based on the FIFA Disciplinary Code.”
FIFA fines for political messages range between $5,000 and $20,000.
