Argentina Players Display 'Malvinas Son Argentinas' Banner After Semi-Final Win

World Cup's former champions Argentina's players have displayed a banner with 'Malvinas Son Argentinas' meaning (Malvinas is Argentinian) after winning the semi-final against England. The message is indicative of the political dispute related to the 1982 Falklands (called Malvinas in Argentina) Islands war.

In the semi-final held in Atlanta, Argentina was trailing 1-0 with five minutes left to play. But the team made a thrilling comeback with two consecutive goals in the final moments, securing a 2-1 victory and reaching the World Cup final for the second consecutive time. Argentina will now compete for the title against Spain in New Jersey on Sunday.

The Malvinas/Falklands Islands mentioned in the banner have long been a subject of dispute between Argentina and the United Kingdom. While the UK calls them the Falklands Islands, Argentina refers to them as Islas Malvinas. This dispute led to a war that lasted 74 days 44 years ago, claiming the lives of over 900 people, including 649 Argentinians and 255 British citizens and soldiers.

Argentinian defender Lisandro Martinez and midfielder Giovani Lo Celso held the banner with smiles and showed it to the supporters in the stadium. It is not clear how the banner reached them.

This is not the first time a political message has been seen in the World Cup. Last month, during Iran's match in Los Angeles, Iranian-American supporters displayed the pre-revolution Iranian flag, considered a symbol of protest against the Tehran government. However, those matches were completed without any untoward incidents.

After defeating Switzerland in the quarter-finals and securing a meeting with England, some Argentinian players were also heard singing songs saying, 'For the Malvinas, for Diego (Maradona), and for Leo (Messi)'s last World Cup'.

Argentinian midfielder Rodrigo De Paul said, 'We understand that this is not just a football game, it also brings back many memories. We sing songs in memory of the heroes of the Malvinas. But we also have to understand that this is a football competition, the issue of Malvinas should be discussed on another platform. What happened there was a tragic event and we always remember those who lost their lives. But our objective was to win this game and reach the final.'

FIFA's stadium code of conduct prohibits the display of political, offensive, or discriminatory banners, flags, leaflets, clothing, or other materials inside the stadium. FIFA has not yet commented on the incident, although a reaction was sought.

Meanwhile, Argentina's Security Minister Alejandra Monteoliva informed on Tuesday about special discussions on security arrangements in America, stating that 1,600 security personnel would be deployed for the final.

She told local radio, 'We want the celebration to be peaceful. Any materials with provocative messages of a political or ethnic nature are prohibited from being taken inside the stadium.'

Guardian Sport