Leandro Paredes Breaks Silence on Argentina's Falklands Banner Controversy

IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters - Nathan Ray Seebeck

Leandro Paredes Breaks Silence on Argentina's Falklands Banner Controversy

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Yagya Bhargava | Last updated Jul 16, 2026 11:24 AM ET

Argentina's run to the World Cup final is being overshadowed by what happened after the final whistle. The defending champions came back from behind to beat England 2-1 in the semifinals in Atlanta, scoring twice late to book their spot in Sunday's final against Spain.

But the celebrations that followed have put the team in a difficult position. Several Argentina players were seen holding a banner that read "Las Malvinas son Argentinas" which translates to "The Falklands are Argentine."

The Falkland Islands are a British overseas territory in the South Atlantic and have been at the center of a long-running sovereignty dispute between Argentina and the United Kingdom.

The banner drew immediate backlash and put FIFA's spotlight firmly on the Argentine squad. Midfielder Leandro Paredes spoke to Sky News about why the team chose to display the banner after the win over England.

"Sadly, it's a sad part of our history for everyone involved in that chapter of our history. And it hurts. We knew we were playing for them too, for all the people, for our entire nation. I believe we did it in the best possible way," Paredes said. "We always wanted to convey that, for us, it wasn't just a football match."

'Its a sad part of our history'.

Argentinian player Leandro Paredes has spoken about the banner held by his team, which read 'The Falklands are Argentinian'. pic.twitter.com/PF3GLIVfZ0
— Sky News (@SkyNews) July 16, 2026

This isn't the first time the banner has caused trouble. FIFA fined the Argentine Football Association £20,000 back in 2014 after players displayed the same message before a friendly against Slovenia, ruling it a political demonstration that violated their regulations.

England players were fined in 2016 for wearing poppies on their shirts and some Spain players were suspended for making comments about Gibraltar.

Many fans and analysts are calling for FIFA to act before Sunday's final against Spain.

But FIFA typically could potentially have these reviews after the tournament wraps up rather than during it, so a decision before the final looks unlikely.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: