Argentina players hold banner claiming the Falkland Islands after knocking England out of the World Cup

Argentinian players unfurled a banner reading ‘The Falkland Islands are Argentine’ after defeating England 2-1 from the World Cup in a thrilling semi-final match.

Lisandro Martinez and former Spurs player Giovani Lo Celso celebrated with a banner on the pitch after the final whistle and were joined by some of their teammates.

A total of 255 British soldiers and a total of 907 people died in the 1982 Falklands War, when UK armed forces retook the islands following the Argentine invasion.

The banner, which used Las Malvinas, the local name given by the Argentines to the Falkland Islands, was passed around the team’s enthusiastic fan crowd after the match.

FIFA had banned flags depicting the Falklands team from being displayed in the stadium due to their political importance, and the incident is expected to be reported to football authorities.

The tension over the ownership of the islands, located 300 miles off the coast of Argentina, was an important topic of discussion during the match.

Argentinian players were caught chanting slogans claiming the Falkland Islands were theirs after their last 16 win against Egypt.

The country’s Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno also claimed that people living on the islands were ‘artificially implanted’ and that the referendum on British sovereignty was illegitimate.

Argentinian players carry a banner that reads ‘The son of Las Malvinas is Argentinian’, meaning ‘Malvinas is Argentinian’.

Argentine fans carried a banner saying ‘Malvinas are Argentines’, referring to the Falkland Islands.

In a 2013 poll, Falklanders were asked whether they wanted the islands to remain under British rule, and 99.8 percent of respondents voted yes.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Foreign Minister Yvette Cooper tried to reduce tensions by rejecting the referendum attack.

“We are looking forward to football,” Ms Cooper told The Telegraph.

The origins of the hostility date back to the ten-week war of 1982, when Argentina’s invasion of the Falkland Islands by the British cost 907 lives.

Four years later, this situation spread to football, too, when Maradona scored the famous ‘Hand of God’ goal in the 1986 World Cup quarter-final match.

He used his fist to score the opening goal past England, allowing Argentina to win 2-1 and claim the World Cup trophy.

In tonight’s match, the Three Lions’ impressive performance at the start of the first half allowed Antony Gordon to put the team ahead.

But substitutions meant to bring England into defensive formation would backfire in heartbreaking fashion.

With the equalizer goal scored by Enzo Fernandez, England were less than six minutes away from reaching the World Cup final for the first time in 60 years.

Captain Harry Kane comforts striker Anthony Gordon after the final whistle of their 2-1 defeat to Argentina

The banner, which used the local name of the Argentines specific to the Falkland Islands (Las Malvinas), was also passed around the crowd of enthusiastic fans of the team.

Kane looks to the sky as Argentina celebrates the final whistle in Atlanta, Georgia

Goalkeeper Jordan Pickford cried as the final whistle blew after England advanced to the World Cup final

This was followed two minutes after the end of extra time by Lautaro Martinez’s header, which secured Argentina’s place in Sunday night’s final against Spain in New York.

This was England’s fourth appearance in the final four at a World Cup, making it the highest-stakes match since 1966.

But in a story familiar to long-suffering fans, they failed to take the lead at the final whistle.

The Royals were among those who were quick to congratulate the team on their impressive run to the semi-finals; King III. Charles wrote on social media: ‘Our condolences to Harry and the team.

‘Even though you Three Lions are licking your wounds today, you will continue to be the pride of a nation and you will rise again.’

Outgoing Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer also paid tribute to Britain’s ‘passion’ and ‘energy’.

Writing about X, he said: ‘They are eviscerated. It wasn’t the result we all hoped for tonight but the England team did their best.

‘The passion and energy they showed while representing the badge made us all proud.’