Argentina's Vice President Calls England 'Pirates' Ahead of World Cup Semi-Final

Atlanta. As Argentina and England are set to clash in the World Cup semi-final, Argentina's Vice President Victoria Villarruel has made aggressive remarks, calling English citizens 'pirate robbers'.

This exciting match is taking place against the backdrop of a long-standing sovereignty dispute over the Falkland Islands, located in the South Atlantic Ocean, known as Malvinas in Spanish. Connecting to this context, Vice President Villarruel wrote on social media platform X, 'We are playing against pirate robbers. This is not just any game.'

Continuing her aggressive statement, she further wrote, 'I will not try to be politically correct or remain calm, the game against England will always be special and something more. It's about the Malvinas Islands, it's about Diego Maradona, it's about Lionel Messi's last journey, and it's about stopping the invaders in their tracks.'

She also expressed solidarity with the Argentine football team, pledging to continue claiming their land until her last breath, which is also a part of a popular song sung by Argentine fans in this World Cup.

Vice President Villarruel's father fought in the war between Argentina's then military government and the United Kingdom in 1982 over the ownership of the Falkland Islands. The war, which lasted 74 days, was won by Britain, and resulted in the deaths of 649 Argentinians and 255 British soldiers.

In stark contrast to the Vice President's political and provocative statements, Argentina's head coach Lionel Scaloni and many players have sought to keep this match away from political and historical disputes. Coach Scaloni said, 'This is just a football game, straight and simple. Therefore, mixing the game and politics would be foolish.'

Meanwhile, to prevent potential tension during the match, Argentina's Security Minister Alejandra Monteoliva has released a security plan for the semi-final in Atlanta, informing that any flags or banners related to the Falkland Islands context are prohibited from being brought into the stadium.