Having just qualified for the World Cup finals, Argentina’s soccer players were eager to repeat their victory over England, whom they had just beaten 2-1 in the semi-finals. They stripped off their sweaty shirts and paraded around the field holding banners that read “Argentina, Son of Las Malvinas,” or “The Falkland Islands are Argentina.”
The islands, which are part of British territory, have been a source of heightened tension between Britain and claimant Argentina for decades. In recent years, both governments have tried to de-escalate the conflict and keep these differences official.
Recommended stories
list of 3 itemsend of list
The Argentine team is currently at risk of being sanctioned by soccer governing body FIFA over the banner, which violates a code of conduct that prohibits the use of “banners, flags, leaflets, apparel or other paraphernalia of a political, offensive and/or discriminatory nature” inside stadiums.
But analysts say the banner highlights the return of the Falkland Islands as a major political topic in Argentina, thanks to the close friendship between President Javier Millei’s administration and US President Donald Trump.
After the win, Argentina’s Vice President Victoria Villaruel said in a post on X: “The Falklands are Argentina! They ban Falklands in their stadiums, forgetting that it runs in our blood and hearts.”
Villaruel, who is also the daughter of a Falklands War veteran, said before the match that she was playing against “robbing pirates” in X.
“I don’t mean to be politically correct or cruel. To the English, it’s always more than that. The Malvinas, the Diegos, the last of the Leos, putting the brakes on the invaders,” she said.
“Go Argentina! Because until our last breath, we will claim what is ours!” Villaruel added.
Two centuries of conflict
The archipelago consists of two main islands, East Falkland Island and West Falkland Island, and is located 483 km (300 miles) off the east coast of Argentina.
Disputes over ownership of the island date back to the 19th century, with Argentina claiming it inherited the island from Spain.
However, British John Strong named the islands after his patron, Viscount Falkland, in 1690, and Britain has administered the islands since 1833, cementing its claim to the territory through its long existence.
In April 1982, disputes over the territory reached a boiling point, leading to the Falklands War after Argentina occupied the islands in an attempt to control them.
Britain sent troops to the islands, sparking a 74-day battle that resulted in the deaths of 655 Argentine and 255 British soldiers and the British occupation of the territory.
This defeat has been a scar that many Argentines have carried since then.
Louise Clare, a lecturer in contemporary British politics at the University of Manchester, told Al Jazeera: “That (World Cup semi-final) victory reignited the political issue of island sovereignty for Argentines.” “This rekindles the embers of a conflict from about 45 years ago, and I don’t think it will ever cease to be important for Argentina in terms of the relationship between the Malvinas family and Argentina’s sovereignty.”
Argentina’s current location
In the days leading up to the match, the first between the two teams since the 2002 World Cup, Argentine officials once again raised controversy within the country.
In an op-ed published in the Argentine newspaper La Nación, Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno said Argentina’s claim to the Falkland Islands (known in Argentina as Las Malvinas) is based on “historical and legal grounds.”
“The Falklands-Malvinas issue is not another case of colonial liberation or a question of national self-determination. It is a special and unique colonial situation that stems from a violation of Argentina’s territorial integrity,” Kirno said.
“Time does not transform illegal occupation into sovereignty, nor does it divide the territorial unity of the Argentine Republic,” he wrote.
In response to Kirno’s op-ed, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s spokesperson told the Telegraph last week that the UK’s position is clear: “Falkland Islanders are British people with the right to decide their own future.”
playing card angle
But in recent months, a wild card has been thrown into the mix: US President Donald Trump.
Reuters reported in April that a Pentagon memo suggested Trump had options to target allies that did not cooperate enough during the Iran war, including a review of the U.S. position on the Falkland Islands. President Trump has criticized Starmer over his refusal to support Britain’s war against Iran.
Days later, Argentine President Javier Millay, who had previously taken a more moderate position on the issue, said that Argentina was “making more progress than ever” on the Falkland Islands.
Officially, the United States has so far avoided talking about sovereignty over the islands, acknowledging that they are under British administration.
Furthermore, in 2013, a referendum was held in the Falkland Islands in which 99.8% of the islanders voted in favor of remaining a British Overseas Territory.
Symbolism or more?
Clare explained that the status of the islands has always been central to Argentina’s identity and will continue to be so until it is resolved.
“This has been symbolic for successive Argentine governments because of how important the national cause is and what it means to Argentines,” she said.
“It’s a kind of victory for Argentina, not only in the soccer game, but also in terms of a kind of redemption from the past defeat in the Falklands war in 1982,” she added.
