According to World Sport, the British government wants FIFA to investigate Argentine players displaying a banner advocating sovereignty over the Falklands.
The British government said on Thursday that it wants FIFA to launch an investigation after Argentine national team players unfurled banners asserting sovereignty over the Falkland Islands following their World Cup semi-final victory over England.
In an interview, British Science, Innovation and Technology Secretary Peter Kehl said the players' actions were "completely inappropriate" and stressed that "politics must stay away from football."
Kehl stated, "I hope FIFA will conduct a thorough investigation." He also mentioned, "A fundamental principle of the World Cup is the separation of politics and football."
Argentine players defended their display of a flag that read "The Falkland Islands belong to Argentina" after their 2-1 victory over England on Wednesday. The phrase refers to the South Atlantic islands, over which Argentina and Britain fought a war in 1982.
When asked about the significance of the victory over England, Argentine President Javier Mille urged that the sporting result not be linked to the Falklands issue.
The match was considered high-risk due to the strong animosity between the two teams' fans. U.S. security services and FIFA banned fans from bringing "political" flags or symbols into Atlanta's stadium, including those related to the Falklands sovereignty claim.
