India, July 22 -- Argentina found themselves at the centre of two major controversies during the recently concluded FIFA World Cup 2026 in North America. The biggest erupted after their semifinal victory over England, when members of the squad celebrated the dramatic 2-1 comeback with a banner reading, "Las Malvinas son Argentinas" ("The Falklands are Argentine"). As FIFA opened a disciplinary investigation into the incident, head coach Lionel Scaloni finally addressed the controversy.

Following Argentina's win at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, television cameras captured several players posing with the banner, reportedly fashioned by a supporter from a hotel bedsheet. It was not the first instance of the Falklands issue surfacing...