The football tournament 'CAFA U20 Women's Championship 2026' took place in Tajikistan, during which the Uzbekistan U20 women's national team won the title.
In the final match of the tournament, the Uzbekistan U20 women's team faced the Tajikistan U20 team and achieved a convincing victory with a score of 7:0.
Thanks to this victory, the U20 women's team, led by Viktoria Sirota, accumulated 7 points in three matches and became the champion of the 'CAFA U20 Women's Championship 2026'.
During the tournament, the Uzbekistan teams also played against other opponents. They drew with the Iran U20 team with a score of 1:1, and also defeated the Kyrgyzstan U20 team with a score of 1:0.
The British government has demanded that FIFA leadership conduct an investigation because Argentine footballers appeared in a photo with a slogan regarding sovereignty over the disputed Falkland (Malvinas) Islands.
During the semi-final match held on July 15 in Atlanta, the Argentine national team defeated England 2-1. After the game, the players raised a banner that read: 'Las Malvinas son Argentinas' — 'The Malvinas Islands belong to Argentina,' which was carried by fans in the stands.
There is now a possibility of disciplinary action from FIFA leadership against the team for violating the rule prohibiting political statements on the field. Argentina claims that the Falkland Islands were illegally seized by the United Kingdom in 1833.
Historically, Britain first raised a territorial dispute in 1765. In 1833, when the Argentine army attempted to establish sovereignty over these territories, Britain sent warships to drive out the Argentines. The conflict, which began with the Argentine invasion of the islands in 1982, lasted ten weeks and ended with a European victory. During this military operation, 649 Argentines, 255 Britons, and three members of the local population died.
The International Football Federation (FIFA) accuses the Argentine national team of improper conduct during the World Cup. Dissatisfied fans have started collecting a petition demanding the complete exclusion of the team from the tournament.
The dissatisfaction stems from two controversial situations that occurred during the matches. The first happened in the Round of 16 match between Argentina and Egypt, where an Egyptian goal was annulled using the video review system (VAR).
The second incident took place in the quarter-final against Switzerland. First, the referee overturned a yellow card shown to Argentine player Leandro Paredes after a VAR check. Then, he sent off the opposing striker, Brel Embolo, with a second yellow card. As a result, Switzerland found itself in a difficult situation and suffered a defeat.
The petition authors believe that the referees are openly biased towards Lionel Messi and his team. They argue that if the winner is predetermined, the struggle of other teams loses its meaning, and they demand Argentina's exclusion from the competition.
Currently, this demand, published on the website 'argentinaout.com', has been signed by over five million people. It is noted, however, that the fans' dissatisfaction will have no influence on the results of the championship or official decisions. The Argentine national team, which reached the semi-finals, is preparing to play England on July 15th in Atlanta.
