««The World Cup may not be ours, but the Malvinas are.» With that phrase, attributed to Downing Street spokesman Peter Kyle, the British government once again escalated the diplomatic conflict after the victory of the Argentine National Team against England. The unrest in London arose after the Argentine players celebrated the victory by displaying a poster with the slogan «The Malvinas are Argentine»a message that reflects a historical cause deeply rooted in Argentine society.
According to what was reported in “The Guardian”, the United Kingdom asked FIFA to analyze possible sanctions against the footballers for displaying the message at the end of the match. The reaction was interpreted in Argentina as a new attempt to transfer a sovereignty conflict that has been unresolved for decades to the sports field.
The Argentine claim over the Malvinas Islands has a long diplomatic history and is supported by multiple United Nations resolutions, which urge both countries to resume negotiations to find a peaceful solution to the sovereignty dispute. However, the United Kingdom maintains its refusal to discuss the substance of the issue and continues to appeal to the principle of self-determination of the inhabitants of the islands, a position that Argentina rejects considering that it is a population established after the British occupation of 1833, so that principle is not applicable in this case.
The day will be recorded as one of the most memorable for Argentine football. The National Team not only achieved a historic victory against England, but they did so with authority, being vastly superior for much of the match. Throughout the country, thousands of people took to the streets to celebrate a victory that, due to the shared history between both countries, exceeds strictly sporting matters.
Before the match, Lionel Scaloni had tried to tone it down by pointing out that it was «a football match.» However, once the victory was consummated, it was demonstrated that the confrontation aroused emotions that went far beyond ninety minutes. The Malvinas cause continues to occupy a central place in the collective memory of Argentines and any demonstration linked to it generates a strong impact both inside and outside the country.
In this context, the British reaction was read as a new sign of discomfort in the face of a claim that Argentina has had in force for more than a century and a half. While London seeks to get FIFA to intervene due to the display of the poster, from this side of the Atlantic the gesture of the footballers was received as an expression of the feelings of a vast majority of Argentines regarding a cause that they consider inalienable.
Far from any attempt at intimidation, the players celebrated alongside the fans, holding a message that transcends generations. For millions of Argentines, the Malvinas continue to be a national cause and an inseparable part of the country’s identity, beyond any sporting result or the reactions it may provoke on the other side of the ocean.
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