No 10 hits back after Argentina players celebrate beating England with ‘Falklands are Argentinian’ banner

Downing Street hit back after Argentinian players celebrated their World Cup semi-final victory over England by holding a banner reading “The Falkland Islands belong to Argentina”.

Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni had said before the game that he did not want the match to be about conflict in Britain’s overseas territory.

But after his team fell from 1-0 down to a 2-1 victory with five minutes left to progress to their second successive World Cup final, the players unfurled a banner reading “The son of Las Malvinas is Argentinian”, meaning “The Falkland Islands are Argentinian”.

Asked about the Argentine footballers carrying the banner, Downing Street noted the prime minister’s spokesman’s words on Monday: “The UK’s position is clear, the islanders have repeatedly expressed their desire to remain a British territory and their right to self-determination is paramount.”

“Falkland Islanders are British people with the right to determine their own future.”

Political tensions between Argentina and Great Britain, which escalated into conflict in 1982 over the Falkland Islands, continue.

Argentina has repeatedly claimed sovereignty over the Falkland Islands, which are located about 8,000 miles from Britain and 300 miles from the Argentine mainland.

Argentina vice president Victoria Villarruel had described England as “invaders” and “usurping pirates” in the build-up to the fixture and tweeted a full-time victory message saying “this wasn’t just a match” alongside a video of what appeared to be Argentine soldiers.

Later on Wednesday night, he posted photos of players holding the banner and a message to the effect: “The Falkland Islands are Argentine! They banned them from the stadium and forgot that we carry them in our blood and hearts.”

This is breaking news. Updates to follow…