A British Falklands War veteran called on FIFA to intervene after Argentina‘s national team posed with a banner claiming sovereignty over the contested islands following its 2-1 World Cup semifinal win over England.
“FIFA have to do something. We can’t wear a poppy on our international jerseys because they say that’s a political symbol, which we all know it isn’t,” Simon Weston told Sky News on Thursday.
During post-match celebrations Wednesday in Atlanta, Argentine players held a banner handed over by fans, reading “Las Malvinas son Argentinas” — “The Malvinas are Argentine.”
Argentina refers to the Falkland Islands as Islas Malvinas. They were invaded in 1982 under orders from Argentina’s then-military dictatorship, triggering a 10-week war won by Britain.
“They just have to be more respectful and obey the rules. Obey the rules for no politics brought into sport,” Weston stressed.
The British government also urged FIFA to investigate Argentina’s team on Thursday, after U.K. Business Secretary Peter Kyle said the players’ behavior was “entirely inappropriate.”
FIFA can prosecute Argentina’s players and soccer federation because its disciplinary code prohibits at stadiums any “message that is not appropriate for a sports event” including those of “a political, ideological, religious or offensive nature.”
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The FIFA fines for political messaging range from around $5,000 to $20,000.
Sources told ESPN that FIFA is unlikely to rule on the issue before Sunday’s final at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey
Information from ESPN’s Pedro Ivo Almeida and Associated Press contributed to this report.
