White House defends Argentina over Falklands banner as No 10 urges FIFA probe

The White House has waded into the row over Argentina’s World Cup celebrations, defending the team’s right to display a banner asserting Argentine sovereignty over the Falkland Islands after their semi-final win over England.

Andrew Giuliani, who heads the White House’s FIFA task force, told reporters on Friday that the Argentina squad had every right to “make those statements” while in the United States, citing the First Amendment. His remarks came two days after Argentina players unfurled a banner reading “Las Malvinas son Argentinas” — “The Falklands are Argentine” — following their victory over England in Atlanta.

The incident has prompted Downing Street to back calls for FIFA to investigate, amid concerns it breaches the governing body’s rules against political statements at matches. A Number 10 spokesperson said: “The World Cup might not be ours, but the Falkland Islands definitely are. Our commitment to the Falklands will never waver.”

Government ministers pile pressure on FIFA

Number 10 stressed that any sanctions against the Argentina players involved would be “a matter for FIFA”, while echoing comments from Business Secretary Peter Kyle that the organisation should look into the episode. The Mirror reported that Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson had also called on FIFA to take action over the banner, adding to the chorus of UK government voices demanding a response from world football’s governing body.

The government of the Falkland Islands said it was “disappointed but not surprised” by the display, adding it hoped FIFA would “sanction all behaviour of this nature in line with its own rules”. A statement continued: “We do not wish to see politics being brought into sport. Nor do we wish the Islands and their people to be used as a political football in every conversation about England and Argentina.”

The Falklands, a British overseas territory in the south-west Atlantic, has long been the subject of a sovereignty dispute between the UK and Argentina. In a 2013 referendum, 1,513 of 1,517 votes cast were in favour of remaining a UK overseas territory, on a turnout of more than 90%.

Political reaction beyond the pitch

The row escalated further after Argentina’s vice-president, Victoria Villarruel, posted on X following the semi-final that “it wasn’t just another match”, sharing footage appearing to show Argentine soldiers alongside the message: “The Falklands are Argentine. They banned bringing them to the stadium and forgot that we carry them in our blood and our hearts.”

Argentina players were also reported to have sung chants referencing the Falklands, as well as Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi, during their post-match celebrations. FIFA has yet to confirm whether disciplinary proceedings will follow, though the governing body’s rules on political statements at matches have previously led to sanctions in similar cases.

The controversy overshadows a bruising week for England, who were eliminated by Argentina in the last four and face France in Saturday’s third-place play-off in Miami. Argentina, meanwhile, prepare to face Spain in Sunday’s final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, with reports suggesting Donald Trump is expected to attend.

Read more: World Cup 2026: BBC heads to Atlanta for England vs Argentina semi-final coverage

Sources

• BBC Sport
• The Mirror

This is an independent report written from the facts across the sources named above.