2026 World Cup: US backed Argentina's Malvinas tribute after Milei | OneFootball

Argentina’s national team victory over England in the 2026 World Cup semifinals quickly went beyond sports to become an event with major political and social impact. During the celebrations, the Albiceleste players displayed a banner asserting Argentina’s sovereignty over the Falkland Islands, a gesture paying tribute to war veterans that soon sparked international reactions and conflicting positions between the White House and the Argentine government itself.

United States support for the Albiceleste

In response to the controversy surrounding the celebration, the United States government took a position of full support for the Argentine national team. Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House FIFA World Cup task force, defended the players’ actions during a press conference in New York, citing his country’s First Amendment, which guarantees the right to free expression. In addition to endorsing the demonstration, the U.S. official praised the team’s comeback on the field and highlighted Lionel Messi as an extraordinary figure and one of the greatest players of all time.

Javier Milei’s criticism of the squad

This position from the U.S. administration stood in direct contrast to the reaction of Argentine President Javier Milei, who criticized the players’ attitude and distanced himself from the tribute to the fallen and war veterans. The president described the gesture as reckless and an unacceptable mistake, arguing that footballers are not part of diplomacy and that a football match should not be mixed with political issues, although at the same time he reaffirmed the sovereignty claim and said the islands would be recovered through diplomatic means.

Social reaction and broader debate

Milei’s statements sparked strong backlash on social media and in public opinion more broadly, where the banner was largely interpreted as a genuine tribute to the veterans and their families, rather than as a political statement in the sporting arena. In this way, the national team’s celebration went far beyond the pitch and opened up an intense political and social debate in the days leading up to the World Cup final against Spain.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.