Argentina players celebrate beating England with ‘Falklands are Argentinian’ banner

Argentinian players celebrated beating England in the World Cup semi-final with a banner reading “The Malvinas are Argentine” in a reference to the Falkland Islands. Tottenham midfielder Giovani Lo Celso was among those holding the sign as his teammates danced on the pitch after their 2-1 win over the Three Lions in Atlanta on Wednesday. Tension had again been building before the match over the sovereignty of the Falklands , an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, 300 miles off the coast of Argentina which have been a British Overseas Territory since 1833. Argentina's Giovani Lo Celso holds a banner with the words "The Malvinas are Argentine", referring to the Falkland Islands, while teammate Argentina's Nicolas Otamendi gestures to him (AP) In 1982, 907 people - 649 Argentine military personnel, 255 from Britain and three Falkland Islanders - died in the Falklands War, when the then-incumbent far-right Argentinian military dictatorship invaded the islands. Despite defeat 34 years ago, the islands are still claimed by Argentina, and are frequently subject to numerous chants and flags at football games. After their last-16 win over Egypt , their players celebrated by singing: “For the Malvinas, for Diego [Maradona], for Leo [Messi]’s last one.” Argentina fans hold a banner with the words "The Malvinas are Argentinian" (AP) The flames had been stoked further prior to the semi-final when Argentina’s vice-president Victoria Villarruel called England “invaders” and “usurping pirates”. “Tomorrow we play against the usurping pirates,” he wrote on X. “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. It’s the Malvinas, it’s Diego, it’s Leo’s last one, and it’s putting the brakes on the invaders. Go Argentina! Because until our last breath, we’re going to claim what’s ours!” The tension inside the game appeared to also spill outside with reports of fighting outside the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta following the match, with police seen taking at least three people away.