After defeating England, the Argentina national team unfurled a banner about the ownership of the Falkland Islands

The footballers' protest was called provocative. The Argentines face penalties from FIFA.

The Argentina national team caused a scandal during their celebration of their victory over England and their advancement to the World Cup final. Argentine midfielder Giovani Lo Celso unfurled a banner on the field reading, "The Malvinas Islands belong to Argentina." Other footballers then joined him and began posing with the banner.

This refers to a long-standing dispute over the ownership of the archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, which the British call the Falkland Islands and the Argentines call the Malvinas Islands. In 1982, the countries fought a military conflict that lasted 74 days. Britain won the conflict and currently considers the islands to be its overseas territories. Argentina disagrees, considering the Malvinas Islands part of the province of Tierra del Fuego.

It's still unclear what sanctions await the Argentinians, but experts believe the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) will quickly impose a hefty fine, as the organization's rules strictly prohibit the display of banners, flags, or leaflets with political connotations in stadiums.

Media reports indicate that on the eve of the England-Argentina match, FIFA and the FBI held a joint meeting and classified the match as "highest risk" due to concerns about potential clashes between fans.