Argentina Players Hold Falklands Banner After World Cup Win, Sparking Diplomatic Row

After Argentina beat England 2-1 in their World Cup semi-final in Atlanta on July 15, two Argentine players held a banner claiming the Falkland Islands belong to Argentina. Britain and Argentina fought a 1982 war over the islands, losing 649 Argentinian and 255 British lives. A UK minister called it "entirely inappropriate" and urged FIFA, soccer's governing body, to investigate; its rules ban political messages in stadiums. One player said he imagined a war veteran "seeing that and weeping."