Lisandro Martinez and Cristian Romero of Argentina celebrate with a banner after the FIFA World Cup 2026 Semi Final match between England and Argentina at Atlanta Stadium on July 15, 2026 in Atlanta, United States. A cabinet minister has called out the Argentine football team after its players held up a banner supporting their country’s claim to the Falkland Islands. Shortly after their 2-1 victory over England in the World Cup semi-final, the winning team grabbed a political sign which read “Las Malvinas Son Argentinas” – translating to “the Malvinas are Argentine” – and waved it on the pitch. The banner refers to Argentina’s ongoing demand for the British overseas territory, known in the UK as the Falklands Islands and in Argentina as Islas Malvinas. Britain went to war with Argentina in 1982 over the South Atlantic archipelago and won after a deadly ten-week conflict. The locals also voted in favour of remaining a UK overseas territory in a 2013 national referendum. But sovereignty over the islands remains a sore spot between Argentina and Britain. Asked for his response to the footballers’ sign, UK business secretary Peter Kyle told BBC Breakfast: “It was entirely inappropriate. “Politics needs to be separate from football. The World Cup has 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.” He added it was an “egregious violation of the rules”. Kyle also told Times Radio: “When it comes to the Argentinians, I think the dignity with which our team acted, I think is the perfect contrast and really shows, really shows, you know, them for their own behaviour by contrast. “And when it comes to the rest of it, FIFA need to really take the action that deserves to happen.” 'It was entirely inappropriate' Business Secretary Peter Kyle spoke to #BBCBreakfast after Argentinian players celebrated the World Cup semi-final win against England with a banner in support of their country's claims to the Falkland Islandshttps://t.co/10bfdFH50Tpic.twitter.com/phJwQORS16 — BBC Breakfast (@BBCBreakfast) July 16, 2026 Listen to Commons People, the podcast that makes politics easy. Every week, Kevin Schofield and Kate Nicholson unpack the week’s biggest stories to keep you informed. Join us for straightforward analysis of what’s going on at Westminster. Related... Reform MP Condemned After Urging England Team To 'Keep Winning' For Women's Safety The Best England, Scotland, And Other World Cup Shirts To Buy Before Kick Off Harry Styles Sums Up Mood Of The Nation Celebrating England's Win Ahead Of Wembley Gig