ARGENTINA face a fine after their players celebrated their World Cup semi-final win over England by holding up a banner claiming ownership of the Falkland Islands.
Lionel Messi set up two late goals to break English hearts in Atlanta, with the reigning champions coming from a goal down to win 2-1.
Argentina could be hit with a punishment for celebrating with a Falklands banner Credit: Getty
The banner was held up by fans in the stand before the players held it up Credit: Reuters
After the final whistle, their jubilant players held up a banner which read “Las Malvinas son Argentinas” – which translates to “The Falklands are Argentine”.
Tottenham captain Cristian Romero, ex-Spurs flop midfielder Giovani Lo Celso and Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez were among those holding the sign.
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Midfielder Leandro Paredes told a reporter in a post-match interview that the Falklands “will always be Argentine”.
The Falkland Islands is a British overseas territory in the south-west Atlantic Ocean 300 miles off Argentina’s east coast.
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Argentina dispute that it should belong to Britain and even went to war over it between April and June 1982.
The 74-day conflict led to the deaths of 255 British troops and 655 Argentine servicepeople, while three people from the islands also perished.
Fifa already slapped Argentina with a £20,000 fine in 2014 for holding up a banner with the same message before a friendly against Slovenia.
The South Americans, who face Spain in Jattvibeday’s World Cup final hoping to retain their title, can expect more financial punishment for this latest offence.
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Football’s world governing body had banned flags featuring the Falklands from the stadium due to their political significance.
After Argentina’s victory, vice-president Victoria Villarruel posted on X that “it wasn’t another match” alongside a video of what seemed to be Argentine soldiers.
She wrote: “The Falklands are Argentine. They banned bringing them to the stadium and forgot that we carry them in our blood and our hearts.”
Villarruel had inflamed tensions in the build-up to the semi-final by calling England “usurping pirates”.
She wrote: “Tomorrow we play against the usurping pirates. This isn’t just another match.
“I’m not going to be politically correct or cold-hearted: against the English, it’s always something more.”
