- Argentina players reportedly displayed a banner asserting the country’s claim to the Falkland Islands after a World Cup semi-final.
- A White House FIFA task force official cited US free-speech protections when discussing the players’ ability to make statements.
- Downing Street and the Falkland Islands government called for FIFA to examine the incident.
The White House has defended the Argentine football team’s ability to express its views after players displayed a banner supporting Argentina’s claim to the Falkland Islands, according to MyJoyOnline.
The report said the banner was shown after Argentina’s World Cup semi-final victory over England on Wednesday. It carried the Spanish message, “Las Malvinas son Argentinas”, meaning “The Falklands are Argentine”. Argentina refers to the islands as Las Malvinas.
Andrew Giuliani, identified in the report as head of the White House FIFA task force, said the players had the opportunity to make such statements in the United States. He referred to First Amendment protections for freedom of speech when questioned by reporters on Friday.
The display has prompted calls in the United Kingdom for FIFA to investigate whether it contravened the governing body’s restrictions on political messages. Downing Street said any disciplinary decision would be for FIFA, while reiterating the UK government’s position on the islands’ sovereignty.
The Falkland Islands government also criticised the banner, saying it was disappointed but not surprised. It said it did not want politics introduced into sport or the islands and their people to be repeatedly used in disputes surrounding matches between England and Argentina.
FIFA was reported to be assessing the matter, with Argentina potentially facing disciplinary action if the banner is found to have breached applicable competition rules.
The Falkland Islands, a British Overseas Territory in the south-west Atlantic, remain the subject of a long-running sovereignty dispute between the United Kingdom and Argentina. A 2013 referendum on the islands recorded an overwhelming vote in favour of retaining British Overseas Territory status, according to the report.
The dispute is also tied to the 1982 conflict between Britain and Argentina. The 74-day war followed Argentina’s landing of forces on the islands and ended after a British military operation removed them. Hundreds of British and Argentine military personnel, as well as three islanders, were killed.
Argentina’s Vice-President Victoria Villarruel also restated Argentina’s territorial claim in a social-media post following the match, MyJoyOnline reported.
