Representatives of the Falkland Islands, in a letter published on Facebook after the England vs. Argentina match, stated that politics should not be present in sports and called on FIFA to consistently apply its own rules.
Accusations of political propaganda
The British Overseas Territory of the Falklands was criticized for the display by fans of a placard with the inscription 'Las Malvinas Son Argentinas' ('The Falklands are Argentine'), which players showed after their victory on Thursday. Furthermore, they mentioned video recordings circulated after the Argentina vs. Egypt match, where 'the Argentine national team sang songs about the Falklands in the showers.'
Demands to FIFA
The Falklands expressed disappointment, although not surprised by such behavior, noting that this is not the first similar incident. They reminded that the Argentine Football Association was fined by FIFA in 2014 an amount of 20,000 pounds sterling (approximately 23.5 thousand euros at the current exchange rate) for similar conduct. The islands demanded that FIFA consistently enforce its regulations, as the Statutes and Disciplinary Code explicitly prohibit political, religious, or personal messages in official matches and venues.
Political context and support
The letter emphasized that the Falkland Islands are an autonomous and self-financing British overseas territory that participates in international activities in areas such as sport, science, and humanitarian aid. The Falkland government recalled the 2013 referendum, in which 99.8% of residents chose to maintain the current status with the participation of about 92% of the population, which was monitored by international observers.
The islands also noted that the Falklands were occupied by Argentina in 1982, leading to hostile occupation for 74 days. These events of the war traumatized the residents of the Falklands, making political acts like those that occurred after the game particularly sensitive for the local population. The Falklands called on FIFA to take this context into account when making decisions.
UK reaction
The Falklands supported the statements of the UK Secretary of State for Economy and Trade, Peter Kyle, who described the behaviour of the Argentine players as 'completely inappropriate' and strongly urged the highest body governing world football to conduct a 'full investigation'. The representative of the UK Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, reported that the head of government supports calls for an investigation into the Argentine national team. The Port Spokesperson also commented that while the World Cup may not belong to them, the Falkland Islands certainly do, and their position remains unchanged: self-determination belongs to the islanders, and their commitment to the Falkland Islands will never waver. It should be noted that Argentina refers to the archipelago as the Malvinas, while the UK refers to it as the Falkland Islands.
