Di Argentine soccer team don dey face possible punishment from FIFA afta dem show one banner wey talk about di Falkland Islands. Di banner wey di players carry afta dem beat England 2-1 for semi-final don cause plenty talk. Di banner write say “Las Malvinas son Argentinas,” wey mean say Malvinas na Argentina own.
Di Malvinas na di Spanish name for di Falkland Islands, wey be British overseas territory for South Atlantic. Argentina still dey claim di islands as dia own land. Players like Giovani Lo Celso, Lisandro Martínez, and Nicolas Otamendi hold di banner for Atlanta Stadium pitch before dem put am face up.
Nobody know whether di players bring di banner from dia supporters or dem make am dia self. Di islands don dey under British control since 1883, except for two months for 1982. Dat year, Argentina military junta send soldiers to take di islands, wey cause di Falklands War. Britain fight back, and Argentina surrender for June 1982. Di war kill 649 Argentine soldiers, 255 British troops, and three civilians.
Even afta defeat, Argentina no stop to claim di islands. For 1994, dem change dia constitution to show di claim. Di islanders hold two referendums, one for 1986 and one for 2013, and dem choose to stay under British rule. Di banner wey Argentina players show fit break FIFA rules. FIFA stadium code of conduct say any political, offensive, or discriminatory material no allowed for field.
Also, di International Football Association Board (IFAB) get rules wey say players no fit wear or carry political messages. For 2014, FIFA fine Argentina Football Association £20,000 ($27,000) for di same banner. FIFA no don tok yet if dem go punish Argentina dis time. Di English Football Association no don talk if dem go complain.
Any decision by FIFA go get plenty eyes on am, because some people dey think say FIFA dey favour Argentina and Lionel Messi. Argentina vice-president Victoria Villarruel post for X, show old video of soldiers landing for di islands for 1982, and write say “it wasn’t just another match.” She add say “The Malvinas are Argentine! They banned us from bringing them to the stadium, but they forgot that we carry them in our blood and in our hearts.”
