Argentina football fans displayed banners laying claim to the Falkland Islands during Lionel Messi's farewell international match at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires.
Supporters took the opportunity to send political messages during the emotionally charged fixture against Benin at the 85,000-capacity venue, which is the largest stadium in South America and the traditional home of the national team.
One prominent banner displayed in the stands read "Las Malvinas son Argentinas," while another depicted the geographic outline of the Falkland Islands filled in with the blue and white vertical stripes of the Argentine national flag. Many supporters also wore plastic masks of Messi as they gathered to celebrate their departing captain.
While thousands of supporters attended the match to honour the veteran forward, the longstanding territorial dispute between Argentina and Britain became a central focal point of the evening.
Political banners at sporting events
The display in the stands follows previous instances where Argentine sports fans and national team players raised political messaging regarding the Falkland Islands during international sporting competitions.
During the FIFA World Cup semi-final, Argentina's players celebrated their victory over England by displaying a banner that read "Los Malvinas son Argentinas." The squad used the post-match celebrations to assert their country's claim over the self-governing British Overseas Territory.
The Falkland Islands are located in the South Atlantic Ocean, approximately 300 miles east of the Argentine mainland. Britain has exercised continuous governance over the archipelago since January 1833, when it re-established sovereignty over the South Atlantic islands.
In August, supporters of Argentina's national rugby team, the Pumas, displayed similar sovereignty banners during a test match against South Africa. That incident followed the rugby squad wearing a commemorative kit paying homage to Diego Maradona's performance at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, where he scored his famous "Hand of God" goal against England.
Diplomatic responses and FIFA rules
The display of sovereignty banners by the national football team after defeating England triggered a strong diplomatic response from the British government in London.
Former UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer rejected the territorial claims made by the team. Starmer insisted that while "the World Cup might not be ours, the Falkland Islands definitely are," adding that self-determination rests with the islanders and that British commitment to the Falklands will never waver.
Following the World Cup incident, FIFA opened an official investigation into the matter. FIFA, the global governing body for association football, strictly forbids the use of any political messaging, slogans, or statements at its sanctioned matches.
However, FIFA had previously turned a blind eye when Argentine players sang dressing room songs referencing the 1982 conflict throughout the tournament. Videos of those celebrations were subsequently posted on social media by the country's national football association.
Argentine President Javier Milei defended the national team's celebrations with the banner, describing their actions as "perfectly valid." Milei stated that the message "reflects a sentiment shared by all Argentines," adding: "I know that for Argentinians, we won the World Cup the moment we beat England because that's really what everyone wanted."
British governance of the Falkland Islands remains a sore point for many Argentinians and continues to re-emerge during international sporting events. In a 2013 referendum, 99.8 per cent of citizens on the islands voted to remain a British territory following the 1982 conflict between the two nations.
Lionel Messi international farewell
The fixture against West African nation Benin served as a national farewell for Lionel Messi, who called time on his international career after Argentina fell short against Spain in the World Cup final this summer.
The farewell match marked Messi's 208th and final appearance for his country. Demand for tickets was exceptionally high, with all seats at the Estadio Monumental selling out within 90 minutes of going on sale.
Tributes to the former Barcelona superstar took place across the country alongside the match. In his home city of Rosario, located in Santa Fe province, supporters unfurled a giant replica of his iconic No 10 shirt emblazoned with the word "Gracias."
In Patagonia, adulation for the World Cup winning captain reached new heights, marked by an 85ft, 70-ton statue of Messi kneeling with the World Cup trophy that looms over passing motorists in the southern region.
