England have been described as “invaders” and “usurping pirates” by Argentina’s vice-president ahead of the teams’ World Cup semifinal clash in Atlanta on Wednesday.
Political tensions linger between Argentina and Great Britain over the Falkland Islands, which boiled over into conflict in 1982.
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said it would be “madness” to mix up sport and politics ahead of the match, but his country’s vice-president Victoria Villarruel stoked up the rhetoric around it in a post on X.
“Tomorrow we play against the usurping pirates,” the post from Tuesday began.
“This isn’t just another match. I’m not going to be politically correct or cold-hearted; against the English, it’s always something more.
“It’s the Malvinas, it’s Diego, it’s Leo’s last one, and it’s putting the brakes on the invaders. Go Argentina! Because until our last breath, we’re going to claim what’s ours!”
Las Malvinas is Argentina’s name for the Falklands, which in 2013 held a referendum where islanders voted overwhelmingly to remain a UK overseas territory.
Atlanta has deployed additional personnel for Wednesday’s semifinal in an effort to ensure safety and security.
