Legislative Assembly also writes to FIFA Disciplinary Committee on the Argentina men’s football team’s “clear political statement”.
Argentina were victorious against the England men’s squad last night, two goals to one.
During the Argentine celebration on the pitch the team waved a banner saying “Las Malvinas Son Argentinas” (the Falklands are Argentine) flouting FIFA’s ban on political banners.
The Legislative Assembly has now written an open letter to FIFA about the matter stating the action, along with the Argentine squad singing about the Falkland Islands after their game against Egypt, have breached FIFA’s rules prohibiting the use of football matches and facilities for political, religious, or personal messaging.
The Falkland Islands Government has also released a statement saying it’s “disappointed but not surprised that the Argentine football team decided to tarnish the result of last night’s World Cup football semi-final – a game that did not in any case involve the Falkland Islands.”
The statement continues that it is “hardly news to anyone that the people of the islands were victims of an aggressive invasion in 1982, which left many traumatised. The banner displayed by Argentina last night, therefore, was particularly insensitive for many people in the Falklands.”
In response to last night, a spokesperson for Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said: “The World Cup might not be ours, but the Falklands definitely are.
“Our position is unchanged, and our commitment to the Falklanders is unwavering.”
The spokesperson was also asked if Sir Keir backs the business secretary’s call for FIFA to investigate the team for holding up the banner for a breach of the rules that ban any sort of political messaging or slogans from teams in the field of play.
They said he did and that any subsequent action taken was a matter for FIFA
