White House backs Argentina players over Falklands banner in World Cup semi-final

The White House has sided with Argentina’s national team players who unfurled a banner reading "Las Malvinas son Argentinas" (the Falklands are Argentine) after their 2-1 victory over England in the World Cup semi-final in Atlanta on Wednesday.

Andrew Giuliani, head of the White House FIFA taskforce, said the US believes in free speech, citing the First Amendment. "We believe in our first amendment rights here in the United States of America," he stated, adding that Argentine players would have the "opportunity to be able to make statements" in the US.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer backed calls for FIFA to investigate the incident and appeared to support Spain ahead of the final against Argentina. His spokesperson said: "The World Cup might not be ours, but the Falkland Islands definitely are. Our position is unchanged." The spokesperson also stressed that politics should stay out of football.

Business Secretary Peter Kyle described the banner as "an egregious violation" and urged FIFA to conduct a thorough investigation. FIFA said its independent disciplinary committee is assessing match reports.

The Falkland Islands government expressed disappointment, calling the banner "particularly insensitive" given the 1982 war that killed over 900 people. They hope FIFA will sanction such behavior.

The incident follows an Argentine complaint about HMS Medway entering its waters without permission. The UK rejected the claim, stating the vessel was on a routine logistics visit to Chile.