Downing Street has backed calls for Fifa to investigate whether Argentina players broke rules by brandishing a banner in support of their country’s claim to the Falkland Islands at the World Cup.
No 10 echoed remarks made earlier by Business Secretary Peter Kyle, who said the governing body should “thoroughly” probe the behaviour of the defending champions after they beat England 2-1 in Wednesday’s match in Atlanta.
“The World Cup might not be ours, but the Falkland Islands definitely are,” a Downing Street spokeswoman said.
“Out position is unchanged. Self-determination rests with the islanders.
“Our commitment to the Falklands will never waver.”
The official said any potential action is a “matter for Fifa”, but asked whether the Prime Minister agrees with his Cabinet minister that there should be an investigation, replied: “I would echo that position.”
Asked whether Downing Street agrees with Mr Kyle’s characterisation of the behaviour as an “egregious violation” of the rules, she added: “Any action taken is a matter for Fifa, I’ll leave it for them.
Business and Trade Secretary Peter Kyle said Fifa should ‘thoroughly’ probe the behaviour of the defending champions (Jonathan Brady/PA)PA Wire“I’d point you to the Business Secretary’s words this morning.”
Argentina fans celebrated their victory jubilantly on Wednesday, with some near the pitch holding a banner which read “Las Malvinas son Argentinas”, which translates to “The Falkland Islands are Argentinian”.
The sign, referring to the dispute over the British overseas territory, eventually made its way to the players, who held it up as they revelled in their win.
They are set to face disciplinary action for violating Article 34.3 of the tournament’s rules prohibiting the display of any political messages or slogans by players before, during or after a match.
Asked about members of the team waving the banner, Mr Kyle told BBC Breakfast: “My reaction is that it was entirely inappropriate.
(PA Graphics)PA Graphics“Politics needs to be separate from football.
“In fact, the World Cup has one of its central tenets that politics is separate from football.”
He said: “We expect Fifa to undertake an investigation into this.
“I think it was certain to happen because it was such an egregious violation of the rules of not having political activity as part of the football.”
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On Times Radio, the minister praised Thomas Tuchel’s side for their “dignity”, which he said stood in “perfect contrast” to the Argentina team’s behaviour.
Political tensions between Argentina and Britain over the territory have lingered for decades, after boiling over into a short but bloody war in 1982.
Buenos Aires has repeatedly claimed sovereignty over the islands, which are about 8,000 miles from the UK and 300 miles from mainland Argentina.
In a 2013 vote, the islanders overwhelmingly backed keeping their status as a British overseas territory, but Argentine foreign minister Pablo Quirno has suggested this referendum was illegitimate.
Days before the semi-final clash, he used an essay in La Nacion newspaper to claim the population had been “artificially implanted by the occupying power”, which was flatly rejected by Downing Street.
Meanwhile, Argentina has lodged a diplomatic protest with the UK over what it called the “unlawful” movement of a Royal Navy patrol ship near the South Atlantic archipelago.
In an official statement shared on X after the semi-final, the country’s foreign affairs ministry expressed its “strongest rejection” of the movements of HMS Medway and accused Britain of a “military incursion” into its waters.
No 10 said the UK had notified Argentina in advance of undertaking a routine logistics visit and the British Navy “always operates in full compliance with international law”.
Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni had said before the game he did not want the fixture to become about the conflict over the territory.
But the country’s vice-president Victoria Villarruel tweeted a victory message at full-time saying “it wasn’t just another match”, alongside a video of what appeared to be Argentinian soldiers.
In the build-up to the fixture, she had described England as “invaders” and “usurping pirates”.
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey called for Argentina’s players who celebrated with the Falklands banner to be suspended from the World Cup final.
And Tory leader Kemi Badenoch wrote on X: “The Falkland Islands are British.
“The Conservatives will always defend them.”