India, July 16 -- A diplomatic controversy has emerged following Argentina's victory over England in the FIFA World Cup semifinal after several Argentine players displayed a banner reading "Las Malvinas son Argentinas" ("The Malvinas are Argentine") during their post-match celebrations.

The slogan refers to Argentina's claim over the Falkland Islands, a British Overseas Territory at the centre of a long-running sovereignty dispute.

The British government has criticised the display, calling it an inappropriate political message at a global sporting event. UK officials have urged FIFA to investigate the incident, arguing that the organisation's regulations prohibit political, ideological or offensive messages during official competitions....