The Daily Mail reports:
Argentina players hold banner claiming the Falkland Islands after knocking England out of the World Cup
Politics is back in sport, yet again, but what can you expect after all the nonsense about banning Russia and not Israel from international sports?
This sends a mixed message that others will exploit for their own ends.
Double standards will always come back to bite you as FIFA is discovering
As the Mail points out Argentina was not even an independent country when the uninhabited Falkland Islands were claimed by the British Crown in 1765. And now it's about as Spanish as a Melton Mowbray pork pie.
But times have changed since Argentina lost the short war to reclaim the territory in 1982.
Trump is in the White House and chummy with the Argentinian President.
Even in 1982, Thatcher's pal Reagan was none to happy to support the UK defence of the islands.
The Chagos Islands farce has left the UK exposed to these kinds of claims.
The border between Gibraltar and Spain has just been removed.
Argentina is betting that the UK could no longer raise a naval task force to support the islands, let alone get it there along with a submarine escort.
There are no Vulcan bombers any more to threaten Buenos Aires with a bombing campaign or friendly bases to fly them from.
If push came to shove the Mayor of Manchester would have to decide if it was worth fighting for or there are more important issues to tackle.
And would there be any appetite to trigger Article 5 if the Falklands were attacked by a non-NATO country - just as there wasn't last time - FNN doubts it.
Worrying times for the Falkland Islanders.
Update 18/07/2026:
https://news.sky.com/video/world-cup-chief-backs-right-to-wave-falklands-banner-in-stadium-13564520
Trump's World Cup chief backs right to wave Falklands banner in stadium