Argentina players displayed a political banner reading “Las Malvinas Son Argentinas” (“The Falklands are Argentinian”) after their 2-1 World Cup semifinal victory over England, in an apparent violation of FIFA rules.

FIFA’s Stadium Code of Conduct bans “banners, flags, flyers, apparel and other paraphernalia that are of a political, offensive, and/or discriminatory nature.” The governing body did not immediately respond to Al Jazeera’s request for comment.

The sovereignty dispute over the South Atlantic islands — known as the Falklands to the British and the Malvinas to Argentinians — has long strained relations. A brief war in 1982 killed 649 Argentine and 255 British soldiers; Britain retained control, and most islanders wish to remain British.

Argentina claims it inherited the islands from Spain after independence in 1816 and that Britain took control in 1833 through an illegal colonial act.

Lisandro Martinez and Giovani Lo Celso held up the banner, grinning and waving to fans. The banner’s origin is unclear. This is not the first political banner incident at the World Cup; last month, Iranian Americans waved pre-revolutionary flags during Iran’s matches without incident.

Source: www.aljazeera.com