Calls for Argentina to be banned from World Cup over Falklands banner
MPs have called for Argentina players to be banned from the Fifa World Cup final after showing a banner relating to the Falkland Islands.
Argentina players celebrated their 2-1 semi-final victory over England by waving a banner which read “Las Malvinas son Argentinas”.
Translated as “The Falklands are Argentine”, the banner appears to be against Fifa’s rules on political flags and banners relating to geopolitical issues.
Shadow business secretary Andrew Griffith questioned this morning “why shouldn’t Fifa ban the Argie players from the final?”.
“This is against Fifa’s rules,” he added. “Fifa in the past have fined Britain for wearing poppies on their shirts, suspended Spanish players when they called for Gibraltar to be part of Spain so action this day from Fifa – whether it is fines or suspensions – this cannot wait until the end of the tournament.
“It is incredibly important they send that signal that this behaviour was unacceptable.”
Argentina risk ban
The Falkland Islands is a British overseas territory and is sovereign British territory, but Argentina disputes this and in the 1980s invaded the islands off the coast of South America.
England were booted out of the World Cup in Atlanta on Wednesday after Argentina overcame a one-goal deficit to win 2-1 and book their spot in the final against Spain.
Peter Kyle, secretary of state for Business and Trade, said the banner was “entirely inappropriate”.
“I think [an investigation] is certain to happen because it was such an egregious violation of the rules of not having political activity as part of the football,” Kyle added.
England will now play France in Miami on Saturday in the third-place play-off match, with Thomas Tuchel’s first tournament in charge of the Three Lions seeing his side reach their second World Cup semi-final in three attempts.
The Football Association has reportedly backed the German to lead the team into the European Championships in two years.