Atlanta, Wednesday night. Argentina have just beaten England 2-1 in a World Cup semi-final bristling with tension, and some Argentine players are not celebrating quietly. They hold up a banner reading "Las Malvinas son Argentinas" — the Falkland Islands are Argentine — in front of the watching world. The image travels faster than the final whistle.

By Thursday morning, London is furious. Business Secretary Peter Kyle calls the banner "an egregious violation of the rules of not having political activity as part of the football," and demands that FIFA investigate thoroughly. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, aboard a train to Ukraine for the last overseas trip of his premiership, endorses Kyle's position. Downing Street's response is pointed: "The World Cup might not be ours, but the Falkland Islands definitely are.

" FIFA, for its part, says its independent disciplinary committee is already assessing match reports and weighing the relevant circumstances before deciding on next steps under the FIFA disciplinary code. The precedent here matters. In 2024, Spain's Rodri and Álvaro Morata were each banned for one match by UEFA after chanting "Gibraltar is Spanish" during Euro celebrations in Madrid — a ruling that shows football's governing bodies are willing to punish exactly this kind of territorial provocation. Argentina now face Spain in Sunday's final, which gives that ban an almost theatrical irony.

Starmer, asked who he would support, offered only that he wished both teams well — "especially Spain." As for England manager Thomas Tuchel, Downing Street pointedly declined to call for his resignation, noting he had taken the team deep into the tournament. Whether that is enough to save his job is a question his employers, not politicians, will have to answer.