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Speaking after the match, Argentina midfielder Leandro Paredes said the Falklands War was a “sad part of our history”, adding the game “wasn’t just a football match” for his nation.<\/p>\n
Argentina vice-president Victoria Villarruel posted on X after Wednesday’s victory, external<\/span><\/a> that “it wasn’t just another match” alongside a video of what appeared to be Argentine soldiers.<\/p>\n “The Falklands are Argentine,” Villarruel posted. “They banned bringing them to the stadium and forgot that we carry them in our blood and our hearts.” <\/p>\n In the build-up to the game, Villarruel had said the semi-final was “about putting the invaders in their place”. <\/p>\n MP Peter Kyle, Secretary of State for Business and Trade, said Argentina’s banner was “entirely inappropriate”, adding that he expects Fifa to do a thorough investigation into the matter.<\/p>\n “I think [an investigation] is certain to happen because it was such an egregious violation of the rules of not having political activity as part of the football,” Kyle told BBC Breakfast.<\/p>\n The UK Prime Minister’s official spokeswoman echoed Kyle’s view but said any potential action was “a matter for Fifa”.<\/p>\n She added: “The PM wishes both teams well for the final, especially Spain.”<\/p>\n Argentina players also sang chants which referenced the Falklands and Argentina greats Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi following their dramatic 3-2 win over Egypt<\/a> in the last 16. <\/p>\n However, before the semi-final, manager Lionel Scaloni had said he was “not going to mix” football and politics.<\/p>\n “The reality is that this is a football match. I can’t mix things up, especially out of respect for what happened so many years ago,” Scaloni had said.<\/p>\n “It was a very sad period in our history, and there isn’t much we can do about it, that’s the reality.<\/p>\n “Things are happening elsewhere in the world, and we criticise the existence of war. We certainly remember those people, of course. But it is a football match – we shouldn’t confuse the two.”<\/p>\n The semi-final, which England lost to late goals from Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez, was held under increased security measures<\/a> because of the historical tensions between the two nations.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n