In a gesture that stirs controversy, the Trump administration came out to support the Argentine national team after players displayed a flag reading “Las Malvinas son argentinas” at the end of the match. Andrew Giuliani, the US official appointed to lead the organization of the 2026 World Cup, was blunt: “We believe in the rights of the First Amendment of the Constitution here in the United States.”
The story began when Giovani Lo Celso and Lisandro Martínez showed the patriotic banner after the final whistle. The image, which traveled the world, did not go unnoticed by British journalist Rob Harris of Sky News, who asked Giuliani whether the players had “acted wrongly” by asserting Argentine sovereignty over the islands. The Trump envoy’s response was a missile: “As for the possibility of making those statements, the Argentines have the ability to do so in the United States.”
The flag, thrown from the stands, was picked up by Lo Celso, who displayed it surrounded by his teammates. An act that for many is a display of patriotic love, but for FIFA is a potential violation of its rules, which prohibit political messages on the pitch. The world football governing body has already opened an investigation to determine whether an infraction occurred.
Meanwhile, in Argentina, the gesture was celebrated as an act of national reaffirmation. The Trump administration, far from condemning it, endorsed it. “They have the ability to do so in the US,” Giuliani repeated, making it clear that freedom of expression prevails over any sports regulations. The lingering question: will FIFA dare to sanction the world champions amid the run-up to the 2026 World Cup?
The scandal promises to keep making waves. While Argentine fans take pride, the British are tearing their hair out. And FIFA, caught in the middle, will have to decide whether to punish the heroes of Qatar. The bottom line is that, with the backing of Trump himself, the Malvinas claim has a new chapter in world football history.
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Para mí, Giuliani es un hijo de puta que nos quiere chorear la bandera, igual que los yankis siempre. La FIFA se puede ir a la mierda, las Malvinas son argentinas, carajo. Me parece que acá los únicos vendepatria son los políticos que se arrodillan ante el imperio, lpm. Viva la Selección y la lucha antiimperialista.
Para mí Giuliani es un capo total, la FIFA se tiene que meter las Malvinas en el orto porque son argentinas carajo. Viva la libertad, los zurdos lloran como siempre pero acá manda el pueblo. Yo creo que en el 2026 las vamos a mostrar de vuelta y a la FIFA le va a dar un infarto.