White House backs Argentina players over Falklands banner in World Cup semi-final

The White House has backed Argentina’s footballers who displayed a banner supporting their country’s claim to the Falklands Islands after their World Cup semi-final victory against England.In a fractious match in Atlanta on Wednesday, some players held up a banner after Argentina’s 2-1 win that said: “Las Malvinas son Argentinas” – using the country’s term for the South Atlantic islands.Keir Starmer supported calls for Fifa to investigate the incident on Friday and appeared to back Spain ahead of the World Cup final against Argentina.But Andrew Giuliani, the head of the White House Fifa taskforce, defended Argentina’s players, saying the US believed in free speech.Giuliani said: “We believe in our first amendment rights here in the United States of America.” He added that Argentina’s players would have the “opportunity to be able to make statements” in the US.The intervention may prove awkward for Andy Burnham as he prepares to take over as British prime minister on Monday. England and Argentina are also due to play against each other in rugby’s Nations Championship on Saturday in Argentina. England players have threatened to walk off if any players are subject to racist abuse.When asked on Thursday for Starmer’s reaction to the sign, his spokesperson said: “The World Cup might not be ours, but the Falkland Islands definitely are. Our position is unchanged. Self-determination rests with the islanders and our commitment to the Falklands will never waver.“More broadly, potential action is a matter for Fifa, but it’s been a fantastic World Cup and we’ve said throughout that politics should stay out of football.”The spokesperson also expressed Starmer’s good wishes for both teams, before adding: “especially Spain”.Earlier on Thursday, Peter Kyle, the business secretary, told the BBC that the banner was “an egregious violation of the rules of not having political activity as part of the football”.He added: “The World Cup has [as] one of its central tenets that politics is separate from football. That is now a matter for Fifa. I expect Fifa to do its investigation thoroughly.” The PM’s spokesperson said Starmer endorsed Kyle’s comments urging Fifa to investigate.A Fifa statement said: “As is standard procedure, Fifa’s independent disciplinary committee is assessing the match reports and considering the relevant circumstances before deciding on potential further steps based on the Fifa disciplinary code.”In 2024, the Spain players Rodri and Álvaro Morata were banned for one match by Uefa for chanting “Gibraltar is Spanish” during celebrations in Madrid for the victory against England in that year’s Euro final.The World Cup semi-final was predicted to likely inflame disagreements over the Falklands. A 1982 war after Argentina invaded the islands killed more than 900 people.Argentina complained this month that HMS Medway, a Royal Navy vessel, went through its national waters without permission while sailing from the Falklands to Chile.Starmer’s spokesperson said the UK rejected this. “We notified the Argentinian government in advance of HMS Medway undertaking a routine logistics visit to Chile between the 5 and 8 July to support British Antarctic Survey operations, which will deliver essential stores and supplies to sustain scientific research in Antarctica.“The Royal Navy always operates in full compliance with international law and the transit from the Falkland Islands to Chile was carried out via the most direct practicable practical route, considering operational safety and weather factors to ensure timely delivery.”The Falkland Islands government said: “The Falklands government is disappointed – though regrettably 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.“That said, 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 … We hope Fifa will make good on their promise to keep politics out of sport and sanction all behaviour of this nature in line with its own rules.”