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The final place in the World Cup had just been secured, but Argentina’s footballers wanted to claim another victory over England, who had just won 2-1 in the semi-final. Sweating, he climbed onto the stage with a sign that read: “Las Malvinas son Argentinas,” which translates to “The Falklands are Argentinian.”
The islands, which are part of Britain, have for many years been a source of conflict between the United Kingdom and Argentina, which claims it. In recent years, the governments of the two countries have made great efforts to bridge these differences in key positions, without escalating the conflict.
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The Argentine team is now at risk of being sanctioned by the governing body of football, FIFA, because of the sign because it is in violation of the rules that prohibit “signs, flags, flyers, clothes and other things that are political, offensive, and / or discriminatory” inside the stadiums.
But the sign, say experts, also emphasized how the Falklands is returning as a major political issue in Argentina, boosted by the government of President Javier Milei and his close friendship with the President of the United States Donald Trump.
After their victory, the Vice-President of Argentina, Victoria Villarruel, said in X letters that “The Falklands are Argentina! They stopped bringing them to the stadium and forgot that we carry them in our blood and our hearts.”
Villarruel is also the daughter of a veteran of the Falklands war and said on X before the game that she was playing with “pirate pirates”.
“I won’t be politically correct or heartless; against the English, it’s always more. It’s the Malvinas, it’s Diego, it’s the last of Leo, and they put the brakes on their attackers,” he said.
Go to Argentina, because until our last breath, we will take ours! Villarruel added.
A bicentennial debate
The archipelago, with its two main islands of East Falkland and West Falkland, is located 483km (300 miles) off the east coast of Argentina.
Disputes over ownership of the islands began in the 1800s, with Argentina claiming the islands from Spain.
However, the UK has been in control of the islands since 1833, strengthening its claim to the area due to its long-standing presence, as the Englishman John Strong named the islands after his protector, Viscount Falkland, in 1690.
In April 1982, tensions over the region escalated, leading to the Falklands War after Argentina seized the islands in an attempt to control them.
Britain sent an army to the islands, sparking a 74-day war that killed 655 Argentines and 255 British and ended the UK’s occupation of the area.
That loss has been a scar that many Argentines have carried.
“This victory (of the World Cup) also affects the Argentine people in terms of the politics of sovereignty in the islands,” Louise Clare, a lecturer in modern British politics at the University of Manchester, told Al Jazeera. “It ignites the flames of conflict about 45 years ago, and I think it will not be important for Argentina in terms of the relationship between the Malvinas and Argentina.”
Argentina’s current position
In the days leading up to the match – the first time the two sides have met since the 2002 World Cup – Argentina officials have reignited the controversy at home.
In the opinion of the Argentine newspaper La Nacion, Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno said that Argentina’s claim to the Falkland Islands, or Las Malvinas as they are known in Argentina, was based on “historical and constitutional”.
“The issue of the Falklands/Malvinas is not another issue of decolonization or independence. It is a unique and colonial situation, which arose because of the violation of the integrity of Argentina,” said Quirno.
“Time does not change illegal activity into autonomy. Nor does it divide the national unity of Argentina,” he wrote.
Responding to Mr Quirno’s objections, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s spokesman told The Telegraph last week that the UK’s position was clear: “The Falkland Islanders are British and have the right to determine their own destiny.”
The Trump angle
However, recent months have introduced a wild card into the mix, in the form of US President Donald Trump.
Reuters reported in April that a Pentagon memo said that Trump would choose to join forces with allies who did not provide sufficient support during the Iran conflict, which included the US re-examining its position in the Falkland Islands. Trump has criticized Starmer for the UK’s refusal to support the Iran war.
A few days later, Argentina’s president, Javier Milei, who had previously taken action on the issue, said Argentina was “going further than ever” on the Falklands.
Officially, until now, the US both avoided talking about the sovereignty of the islands and accepted that they were under British rule.
Also, in 2013, a referendum held in the Falkland Islands regarding their status found that 99.8 percent of the islanders voted to remain part of the British Overseas Territory.
Symbolism – or more?
Clare explained that the culture of the islands has always been at the core of Argentine society and will continue to be until it is abolished.
“It’s something that has been symbolic for successive Argentine governments because of its importance to the country and what it means to the Argentine people,” he said.
“It’s a victory for Argentina, not only in football, but a victory for Argentina in the sense of a kind of redemption from the previous losses in terms of the Falklands conflict in 1982,” he added.
