The White House has expressed support for Argentina following controversy over a banner displayed at the Men’s World Cup semi-final.
The banner, held by midfielder Giovani Lo Celso after Argentina’s 2-1 win over England, translated to “The Falkland Islands are Argentinian.”
Andrew Giuliani, head of the White House FIFA task force, defended the action by citing First Amendment rights in the United States.
He stated that Argentina has the ability to make such statements while in the United States, framing the issue as one of free expression.
FIFA rules prohibit political messaging at the World Cup, but with the final approaching, any investigation is unlikely to conclude beforehand.
The Argentine Football Association was fined £20,000 by FIFA in 2014 after players posed behind a sign with the same message.
A FIFA spokesman said the organization’s independent Disciplinary Committee is assessing the incident under the FIFA Disciplinary Code.
The United Kingdom and Argentina fought a war over the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands from April to June 1982, resulting in hundreds of deaths.
A spokesman for the British prime minister reaffirmed that self-determination rests with the islanders and the UK’s commitment will not waver.
The spokesman added that while potential action is a matter for FIFA, politics should remain out of football during the tournament.
Business Secretary Peter Kyle described the banner as “entirely inappropriate” and said politics must be kept separate from football.
He said the matter is now for FIFA to investigate thoroughly under its own procedures.
Argentina’s vice president posted a video appearing to show soldiers from the 1982 conflict with the caption “It wasn’t just another match.”
She had previously referred to the English team as “usurping pirates” ahead of the semi-final fixture.
