Piers Morgan hits back at ‘angry Argentinians’ in 9-word rant | UK | News
Piers Morgan has hit back at “angry Argentinians” with a brutal nine-word statement after his controversial comments about the Falklands War and the upcoming football final sparked a huge backlash. The outspoken broadcaster, known for his unfiltered views, found himself at the center of a fierce social media storm ahead of Sunday’s highly anticipated final between Argentina and Spain.
The row began when the former Good Morning Britain presenter used X (formerly Twitter) during Argentina’s World Cup run to remind football fans of England’s emphatic victory in the 1982 conflict. On Thursday, July 16, Mr Morgan posted: “Classless scum. I hope Spain beat them in the final as badly as we beat them in the Falklands War.” His comments quickly triggered outrage and hundreds of football fans flocked to his words to condemn the comment; one of them wrote: “Bringing up a literal war because your football team couldn’t take a 1-0 lead is the ultimate definition of classlessness. Cry louder”.
The 1982 conflict, which lasted 74 days after Argentine forces invaded Britain’s overseas territory, remains a highly sensitive diplomatic and historical issue. The short but intense battle resulted in a decisive British victory, but cost the lives of 255 British military personnel, 649 Argentine soldiers and three Falkland Islands civilians.
But instead of backing down or apologizing, the Piers Morgan Uncensored host further emphasized his words.
Responding to the wave of anger, Mr Morgan issued a blunt, cold-hearted, nine-word reply on Friday evening (July 17): “I had a lot of Argentinians hurling angry abuse at me for this post. Calm down… It’s not my fault you lost the Falklands War and it’s not my fault you got populated by Spain on Sunday.”
Tensions reached boiling point following Argentina’s dramatic 2-1 victory over England in Atlanta. During the post-match celebrations, several Argentine players, including Manchester United’s Lisandro Martínez, provocatively waved a banner reading “Argentinians, son of Las Malvinas” (Falkland Islands are Argentines).
The demonstration sparked outrage in the UK, prompting Downing Street to back calls for an official FIFA investigation into the “wholly inappropriate” political demonstration.
This is not the first time the team has faced backlash, having been fined by FIFA for carrying the same banner in 2014 and also faced criticism for chanting derogatory political slogans about England and the islands during past celebrations.
Mr Morgan’s combative stance divided social media; While some British followers cheered his patriotic – albeit provocative – sleight of mouth, others criticized him for using a war that has cost more than 900 lives to score cheap points online.
Whether Spain can deliver the victory Mr Morgan has been praying for remains to be seen as fans from both countries prepare for Sunday’s fiery clash. Meanwhile, England will try to ensure that they stay on the podium in the third place play-off match against France on Saturday, July 18 at 22:00.
