Argentina’s win over England to reach the World Cup finals has produced a story that has overtaken the play on the field. Following the win, several Argentinian players were seen celebrating with a controversial message, and now, one Argentinian player has doubled down on that stance.
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After Argentina came back to win 2-1, Argentinian players held a banner reading “Las Malvinas son Argentinas” (The Falkland Islands are Argentinian); debate quickly ignited about whether the display could violate FIFA rules. The celebration drew a lot of attention, including British commentators who have decried it. However, Argentinian midfielder Leandro Paredes has doubled down on the message.
“I’ll keep exactly what I’m thinking to myself and won’t say it!” he joked to reporters, who asked him about what it meant to beat England. “We know very well that winning this match represents something unique and exceptional for our country, and I truly hope that the Argentine people are extremely happy right now.”
When asked about the banner that was raised, he had a succinct answer, leaving little doubt about his position: “Yes, and it will always and forever be Argentine.”
Paredes’ view differs from that of his coach, Lionel Scaloni, who refused to attach political beliefs to the game when asked about it before the game.
“It’s a football match; I can’t mix things up, out of respect for what happened so many years ago,” he said before the game. “It was a very sad time in our history, and there isn’t much we can do about it. Mixing the two would be madness… Of course, people remember history and what happened. It is a game of football; we need to keep things separate.”
Of course, the Falkland Islands are a sore subject for England and Argentina. The two sides have each claimed sovereignty over the group of islands, which eventually culminated in a violent conflict in 1982. Afterward, the British maintained control over the islands, with a majority of islanders voting to remain a part of the UK.
Paredes’ comments could worsen the case for his teammates’ celebration. FIFA Stadium Code of Conduct does not allow “banners, flags, flyers, apparel and other paraphernalia that are of a political, offensive, and/or discriminatory nature” inside stadiums.
Only time will tell if FIFA takes any action, as the governing body has not commented on their celebration so far.
