Skip to main contentSkip to navigation Close dialogue1/1 Next image Previous image Toggle caption World Cup 2026 White House Fifa taskforce chief defends Argentina footballers, saying US believes in free speech The White House has backed Argentina’s footballers who displayed a banner supporting their country’s claim to the Falkland Islands after their World Cup semi-final victory against England. After Argentina’s 2-1 win in a fractious match in Atlanta on Wednesday, some players held up a banner that said: “Las Malvinas son Argentinas” – using the country’s term for the South Atlantic islands. Keir Starmer supported calls for Fifa to investigate the incident on Friday and appeared to back Spain in the upcoming World Cup final against Argentina on Sunday. But Andrew Giuliani, the head of the White House Fifa taskforce, defended Argentina’s players, saying the US believed in free speech. Giuliani said: “We believe in our first amendment rights here in the United States of America.” He added that Argentina’s players would have the “opportunity to be able to make statements” in the US.
Published: July 18, 2026 10:53 am
Source: The Guardian — Read original