Argentina face potential FIFA sanctions after players displayed a political banner reading “The Falkland Islands are Argentinian” during their dramatic World Cup semi-final victory over England, talkSPORT reports.
Lionel Messi and his teammates completed a stunning comeback in Atlanta, with Enzo Fernandez’s 85th-minute strike and Lautaro Martinez’s stoppage-time header overturning Anthony Gordon’s opener for Thomas Tuchel’s side.
The celebration took a controversial turn when midfielder Giovani Lo Celso produced a banner that had initially appeared in the crowd, breaching FIFA’s strict regulations on political statements.
Football’s governing body explicitly prohibits “political, religious or personal slogans, statements or images” on equipment or undergarments, with sanctions ranging from player penalties to team punishments.
The incident follows Argentina’s quarter-final victory over Switzerland, where players were heard chanting about the Malvinas and Diego Maradona.
Tensions had been inflamed before the match when Argentina’s vice-president Victoria Villarruel wrote: “Tomorrow we play against the usurping pirates. Against the English, it’s always something more.”
The on-field rivalry spilled into the stands, with reports of arrests in Atlanta and a brawl among supporters in New York.
England’s Morgan Rogers was involved in a post-match confrontation, while Jude Bellingham appeared to strike Argentina’s Valentin Barco.
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