Argentina president Javier Milei has criticised the national team’s players for raising a Falkland Islands flag during celebrations after their 2026 World Cup semi-final victory over England.
Milei, who has repeatedly called for sport and politics to remain separate, said Argentina’s claim to sovereignty over the islands should be pursued exclusively through diplomatic channels.
Speaking in a television interview, Milei said he agreed with the position taken by Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni, while distinguishing between the emotional reactions of players and the responsibilities of political leaders.
“Players may act out of emotion in that moment. That cannot be accepted from politicians, because their statements could be interpreted as a declaration of war,” he said.
Argentina defeated England in the semi-final of the 2026 World Cup, which was held in the United States, Mexico and Canada. During the celebrations that followed, players displayed the Falkland Islands flag and chanted “The Falkland Islands are Argentine”.
The islands, known in Argentina as the Islas Malvinas, have remained the subject of a sovereignty dispute between Argentina and the United Kingdom. Milei said football was not the appropriate setting in which to conduct that argument.
He referred to Elvis Presley’s response when the singer was asked about the Vietnam War to illustrate his view.
“Elvis was asked about the war and replied that he was an artist and did not comment on politics. It is the same here; it is sport, a game. It is not good to mix oil with water,” Milei said.
The most controversial part of his remarks came when he invoked Diego Maradona’s two famous goals against England at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico.
“We have to remain calm. Maradona’s goal against the English, or any other goal, did not bring the Falkland Islands back to us. They did not pay us back in kind,” he said.
Milei also claimed his administration had made meaningful progress on the issue through diplomacy. He said Argentina had urged the United Nations to force the United Kingdom to return to negotiations, and that this had happened.
“We have pushed the United Nations to force England to sit at the negotiating table, and that has actually happened. We are carrying out diplomacy so effectively that the United States has expressed its support for us, as has China and some sectors in England,” he said.
The president’s latest comments follow criticism he made several days earlier, when he described the players’ “The Falkland Islands are Argentine” chant after the England match as “unwise”.
At that time, Milei also insisted that “the players are not part of diplomacy”.
