FIFA has officially charged Argentina for waving a politically charged flag at the World Cup after defeating England in the semi-final.
The controversial moment came when players were seen celebrating in front of a flag bearing the message, “Las Malvinas son Argentinas,” which translates to “The Malvinas (the Argentinian term for the Falkland Islands) are Argentine.” The Falklands have been under British rule for 193 years and were central to the 1982 Falklands War, a 72-day conflict in which British troops successfully repelled an invading Argentine force. English explorers landed on the archipelago a century before Argentina had even been an independent state, and had no permanent population before their arrival.
In 2013, a referendum was held showing that roughly 98 percent of current Falklands residents wished to remain a part of the United Kingdom.
FIFA, which specifically prohibits political messaging at matches, officially began its disciplinary proceedings against Argentina this week following its devastating loss to Spain in the World Cup Final, per The Telegraph:
World football’s governing body said using a sports event for demonstrations of a non-sporting nature was a potential breach of the disciplinary code.
Other alleged breaches by Argentina include discriminatory chants and gestures, late kick-offs, security protocol failures, inappropriate team and spectator messages, and objects thrown by fans across several matches during the tournament.
In 2014, Fifa fined Argentina £20,000 for a similar banner regarding the Falklands that players held up before a friendly against Slovenia.
Argentina has shown no remorse for waving the flag. After the game, for instance, the country’s prime minister, Javier Milei, defended his players, adding that Argentina will take the Falklands back through diplomatic means.
“In accordance with the Fifa Disciplinary Code, the respondents have now been provided with the opportunity to present their position, following which a decision will be issued by the Fifa Disciplinary Committee in due course,” Fifa said.