he explained.
After Argentina’s 3-1 triumph over Switzerland, the national team erupted in jubilant celebration, singing their unofficial World Cup anthem, The Fourth Star.
“Behind the Argentina team, there are people who still carry pain, who don’t want to forget their history, and who want to win on the football pitch,” Lionel Messi and his teammates chanted, alluding to both the Falkland Islands—known as Islas Malvinas in Argentina—and the iconic Diego Maradona.
While the song’s lyrics had been gaining traction throughout the tournament, their significance deepened with the announcement of Argentina’s upcoming semifinal match against England.
Nearly four decades since Maradona’s notorious “The 1986 match was a balm for everyone who had lived through the war,” goal and his stunning solo effort propelled Argentina to victory in one of football’s most politically charged encounters, this semifinal is perceived in both Argentina and the UK as much more than just a match.
“Football has rules and referees. There was none of that in the war. Many Argentines saw the victory – and the ‘hand of God’ – as a form of vindication because they believed Britain had acted outside the rules, especially by sinking the General Belgrano,” said Pablo “insisted it was just a football match [ahead of the game]. But deep down, there was no doubt the Malvinas war was in everyone’s hearts.” Quintana, the musician who crafted the song. He noted that, despite being born after the war and the 1986 quarter-finals, he understands that these events “Argentina versus England has become a classic. Before 1986, it was just another match. Since then, it has carried a political and emotional weight that goes far beyond football,”
Aldo Leiva, a veteran of the Falklands/Malvinas conflict and a Peronist congressman, reflected, “Argentina vs. the English ‘pirates”
He explained, “Messi, with an M for Malvinas “and “Diego, give us a hand” the Argentine cruiser destroyed by British forces outside the exclusion zone, resulting in the deaths of 323 crew members.
Víctor Hugo Morales, a Uruguayan journalist whose live commentary during the 1986 match became a part of Argentine folklore, shared that memories of that game are “It’s official – Argentina will face England wearing blue, just like in ‘86.” once again.
He remarked that, akin to today’s Argentine players, Maradona himself “For many Argentines, an England defeat would also be seen as a political rebuke to Milei,”
“The Malvinas issue is very much in Argentines’ minds,” Morales stated, having famously referred to Maradona as a “The British probably didn’t give the islands a second thought until the war. For them, [confronting Argentina] has carried a lot of weight since’86 because of what happened in that game – the handball goal and Diego’s other brilliant goal – but not in terms of the Malvinas,” during that time.
Argentinian media have embraced the symbolism surrounding this matchup. Crónica, a channel known for its sensational headlines, previewed the game with phrases like “The feelings many Argentines have about the Malvinas are expressed in football chants. Both the anthem that became popular at the last World Cup and this year’s song include references to the islands,” “Argentina is one of the few countries that, nearly 200 years after losing territory, still keeps that claim alive,” and “Argentines carry it with them wherever they go.” Meanwhile, the sports daily Olé highlighted what it described as a good omen: “time to show this woke fool the red card”
Several Argentinian outlets reported that Godoy Cruz, a football club, displayed banners in its stadium that fans had taken from England supporters during the 2014 World Cup, considered provocative by many.
This rivalry unfolds against the backdrop of far-right president Javier Milei’s continued admiration for Margaret Thatcher, the British prime minister who became a symbol of animosity in Argentina during the 1982 conflict. Morales pointed out, “We know what the game against England means for our country, but it’s a game of football and we’ll try to address it in the best way,”
In Argentina, the Malvinas issue remains deeply ingrained. Even before the war, children were taught that the islands were an integral part of the national territory.
“The Malvinas issue is very much in Argentines’ minds,” Morales stated. “The British probably didn’t give the islands a second thought until the war. For them, confronting Argentina has carried a lot of weight since ‘86 because of what happened in that game—the infamous handball goal and Diego’s other brilliant goal—but not in terms of the Malvinas.”
Daniel Filmus, a politician and former secretary for Falklands affairs, asserted that the claim to the islands is woven into Argentina’s national identity.
“The feelings many Argentines have about the Malvinas are expressed in football chants. Both the anthem that gained popularity at the last World Cup and this year’s song include references to the islands,”
“Argentina is one of the few countries that, nearly 200 years after losing territory, still keeps that claim alive,” he added. “Argentines carry it with them wherever they go.”
While the conflict may resonate less in collective memory in the UK, Wednesday’s match has once again brought the Falklands war to the forefront of British media. The Daily Telegraph highlighted comments from Pablo Quirno, Argentina’s foreign minister, who referred to the Falklands Islanders as an “artificially implanted” population while calling for discussions over the territory.
Additionally, former England footballer Gary Lineker, the top scorer in the 1986 World Cup, faced backlash after he referred to the islands’ Argentinian name, Malvinas, alongside its English name during his podcast, prompting remarks from Mark Dolan, a presenter on Rupert Murdoch’s digital platform Talk, who called for Lineker to be “shown the red card.”
The Sun noted that the Argentina players are attempting to focus solely on the match. “We know what the game against England means for our country, but it’s a game of football and we’ll try to address it in the best way,” midfielder Leandro Paredes stated.
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