After defeating England, Argentina seemed to have found themselves in a bind with a political message about the Falkland Islands. In the run-up to the World Cup semi-finals, the sovereignty of the British Overseas Territories emerged as a topic of discussion. The two countries famously went to war in 1982 when Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands over long-standing territorial claims.
They were quickly defeated by the British, who succeeded in retaking the island in just 10 weeks, forcing Argentina to surrender. Forty years later, many Argentines still believe they have the right to live in the Falkland Islands, even though the overwhelming majority of the population supports remaining under British rule.
While only three people voted in favor of severing ties with the UK in a referendum in 2013, more than 1,500 residents said they wanted the status quo to remain. At the time, Argentina rejected the referendum result as a “parody”.
At the beginning of the tournament, a number of Argentine players were filmed chanting about the island after the win over Egypt, and they pulled off a further stunt after defeating England, which could have put them in serious danger.
History suggests Argentina could be penalized by FIFA over this stunt. In 2014, he was fined £20,000 for holding up a banner with the same message before a friendly against Slovenia.
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FIFA rules state that teams displaying political messages will be subject to sanctions, and soccer’s governing body, the IFAB, has clear rules banning political speech on the pitch.
The World Cup Stadium Code of Conduct prohibits “any material of a political, offensive and/or discriminatory nature, including but not limited to banners, flags, leaflets, clothing and other paraphernalia”.
This includes “words, symbols or other attributes (…) intended to discriminate of any kind against a country, private person or group on the basis of political or other opinions”.
Based on historical precedent, the most likely action would be a new fine against Argentina, perhaps an increase to the fine it received in 2014.
It is unlikely that they will be expelled from the World Cup, but it remains to be seen how FIFA will react to such an obvious breach of rules for political messages.
