Argentina continued to cause controversy around the Falkland Islands as fans of their rugby team held up a ‘Malvinas’ banner at their game against South Africa on Saturday.
During the match, which Argentina lost by a scoreline of 10-17, some supporters were seen with a sign that read: ‘Los Malvinas son Argentinas’, which translates to ‘The Falkland Islands are Argentinian’.
The contention around the banner follows Argentina’s World Cup semi-final victory over England at the FIFA World Cup.
After that triumph, their players used it as an opportunity to assert their claim over the Falkland Islands, a self-governing British Overseas Territory in the South Atlantic Ocean located around 300 miles east of Argentina.
Britain have ruled the Falklands since January 1833 and in 2013 in a referendum, 99.8 per cent of citizens voted to remain as a British territory. The islands were the subject of a conflict between the two nations in 1982.
The lifting of the original banner – which also read ‘Los Malvinas son Argentinas’ – triggered a fierce backlash in the UK.
Argentina rugby fans held up a ‘Malvinas’ banner laying claim to the Falkland Islands
It came after their footballers did similar after beating England in the World Cup semi-final
Former Prime Minister Keir Starmer insisted that while ‘the World Cup might not be ours, the Falkland Islands definitely are. Self-determination rests with the islanders and our commitment to the Falklands will never waver’.
FIFA subsequently opened an investigation, with the governing body’s rules forbidding the use of any political messaging at the World Cup.
They had, however, previously turned a blind eye to continued references to the 1982 conflict in a song sung by the players – and posted on social media by the country’s association – in the dressing room throughout the tournament.
Argentina President Javier Milei described the players’ celebration with the banner as ‘perfectly valid,’ and said the message ‘reflects a sentiment shared by all Argentines’.
‘I know that for Argentinians, we won the World Cup the moment we beat England because that’s really what everyone wanted,’ he said.
Tapia added: ‘We are proud of our national teams’ performance, and of the fact that they created that sense of epic invincibility – that nobody could beat us.’
The banner displayed on Saturday came in Argentina’s first rugby game since their badly-tempered defeat by England last month, during which similar signs were displayed.
That was just a few days after the World Cup semi-final and the Pumas appeared to try to mock their rivals by wearing a kit paying homage to Diego Maradona‘s World Cup-winning 1986 team, a triumph made famous by Maradona’s ‘Hand of God’ goal against England in the quarter-final.
Although England won that match, it ended in chaos when Argentina had a late try ruled out by the TMO, with their fly-half Tomas Albornoz subsequently suspended for four games for allegedly confronting the referee in fury.
