Argentina fan used bedsheets and £7 pot of paint to make Falklands banner

An Argentina fan has bragged of smuggling the notorious Malvinas banner into the World Cup semi-final against England – in his underpants.

The supporter, identifying himself only as Santiago, said he used his hotel bedsheets and a £7 pot of black paint to make the sign, which sparked a diplomatic row between London and Buenos Aires.

Downing Street issued a ‘hands off’ warning, with the prime minister’s spokeswoman saying: ‘The World Cup might not be ours, but the Falkland Islands definitely are.’

Ahead of the World Cup final between Argentina and Spain on Sunday, she said: ‘The PM wishes both teams well for the final, especially Spain.’

Argentina fans celebrated their victory jubilantly on Wednesday, with some near the pitch holding a banner which read ‘Las Malvinas son Argentinas’ – or ‘The Falkland Islands are Argentinian’.

The sign, referring to the dispute over the British overseas territory, eventually made its way to the players, who held it up as they revelled in their win.

Fan Santiago identified himself as the creator of the banner, which the team kept, saying: ‘We made it on the same day as the match.

‘We went to a nearby store and bought cheap paint and a paintbrush for less than $10.

‘We returned to our hotel, grabbed the bed sheet, cut it in half, threw it on the floor, and painted it.’

In an interview with Argentinian news outlet Todo Noticias, which published photos of the paint pot and the banner before it ended up in the hands of players, he added: ‘I folded it as much as I could, put it in my private parts to get through security checks, and in the end we managed to get in.

‘When I saw Montiel, I threw it to him and he caught it. He passed it to Lo Celso, who was the first to hold it up.

‘When I saw Lo Celso unfold it and his teammates holding it on the field, I felt a joy that I can’t put into words.

‘How a piece of a bedsheet could mean so much to all Argentinians.’

Claiming he would be at Sunday’s final against Spain but insisting he had no plans to make another banner, he added: ‘It was crazy. I never imagined it would end up going around the world because of a simple crazy idea we came up with at the hotel.

‘Luckily, there were no problems because most of us behind the goal were all Argentinians.’

The store he bought the paint from has been identified as Home Depot.

The banner ended up being taken back to the Argentina team hotel and today it was still not clear if it would be flown to New York or handed back to the fans who made it.

On Thursday, Downing Street backed calls from other politicians and pundits for a Fifa probe into the behaviour of the defending World Cup champions.

Former England international Peter Reid described the Argentina banner display as ‘beyond the pale’.

A Fifa spokesperson had said: ‘As is standard procedure, Fifa’s independent disciplinary committee is currently assessing the match reports and considering the relevant circumstances before deciding on potential further steps based on the Fifa disciplinary code.’

Political tensions between Argentina and Britain over the territory have lingered for decades, after boiling over into a short but bloody war in 1982.

Buenos Aires has repeatedly claimed sovereignty over the islands, which are about 8,000 miles from the UK and 300 miles from mainland Argentina.

In a 2013 vote, the islanders overwhelmingly backed keeping their status as a British overseas territory, but Argentine foreign minister Pablo Quirno has suggested this referendum was illegitimate.

Days before the semi-final clash, he used an essay in La Nacion newspaper to claim the population had been ‘artificially implanted by the occupying power’, which was flatly rejected by Downing Street.

Argentina’s president Javier Milei backed his country’s players for flaunting the banner after their World Cup win over England – and bragged they will get a fine from FIFA in a ‘worst-case’ scenario.

The firebrand right-wing leader described what the footballers did as ‘understandable’.

And he said it was ‘perfectible valid and legitimate’ for them to mix football and politics.

Referencing the Falklands by the name most Spanish speakers give them, Milei repeated: ‘The Malvinas are Argentine.’

He added: ‘What the players did is understandable; emotion got the better of them. They did it, and that will probably lead to discussion of an economic sanction.’

Insisting the claim over the British Overseas Territory was a ‘feeling shared by all Argentinians’, Milei said: ‘It is perfectly valid and legitimate for the players to want to express themselves and do so.

‘The things that happen on the field with the players are not part of diplomacy.

‘In the worst-case scenario, Argentina will face a $30,000 economic sanction from Fifa.’

Milei spoke as Argentina’s motormouth vice-president Victoria Villarruel, who described the English as ‘usurping pirates’ in a social media rant before Wednesday’s game, went on the attack again following its 2-1 victory.

She posted footage on X showing Argentinian soldiers on the march, writing: ‘Come on Argentina: this wasn’t just another match.’

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