Argentina’s Vice President shared footage of soldiers invading the Falkland Islands and claimed the archipelago was Argentine after the World Cup semi-final.
Victoria Villarruel, deputy to Javier Milei, shared what appeared to be a segment of documentary footage from her country’s failed invasion of the Falklands.
The clip featured Argentine soldiers waltzing onto the British Overseas Territory in 1982, while a voiceover is heard saying: “The British wanted to send them home.”
Ms Villarruel shared the video with the caption: “Thank you Enzo, Thank you Lautaro, Thank you Argentina National Team for giving us one more joy! It wasn’t just another match!”
She went on to continue her anti-English crusade with another post declaring: “The Falklands are Argentine… They banned bringing (flags) to the stadium and forgot that we carry them in our blood and our hearts.”
On Tuesday morning, Ms Villarruel branded England “usurping pirates” as she issued a rallying cry to her nation on their quest to the World Cup final.
She wrote: “Tomorrow we play against the usurping pirates. This isn’t just another match. I’m not going to be politically correct or cold-hearted; against the English, it’s always something more.
“It’s the Malvinas, it’s Diego, it’s Leo’s last one, and it’s putting the brakes on the invaders.
“Go Argentina! Because until our last breath, we’re going to claim what’s ours!”
Her own boss Mr Milei was forced to distance himself from her remarks as pre-match tensions came to a head.
“We must not fall into cheap, populist and stale nationalist slogans,” the President declared.
He then insisted on “not mixing things up”, saying: “I understand that it is difficult, but the Falklands are recovered with wise diplomacy and not with cheap and tawdry gestures of patriotism which, if one were to take that to the international level, would be truly of poor and very bad characteristics.”
Though in an ominous message to the Falklands’ native British inhabitants, he revealed Argentina was “making enormous progress on the diplomatic front”.
“We have managed to get the UN to force England to sit down and talk with us,” he said.
But let’s not mix things up; it’s a football match, what this group has done is wonderful, we owe them so much for all the joy they have given us, beyond the results.”
Back in Britain, SNP MSP Stephen Flynn mocked England’s semi-final exit, sharing a photo of himself laughing at full-time.
His abysmal Scotland were turfed out of the World Cup – only their ninth in history – in the group stage after notching one win against minnows Haiti and falling to two defeats from Morocco and Brazil.
Sir Keir Starmer said he was “gutted” as the whistle went.
“Tonight wasn’t the result we all hoped for, but this England team has given it their all,” he said.
“The passion and energy they’ve shown representing the badge has made us all proud.”
Immediately after Argentina’s 2-1 win, Albiceleste stars took to the field and unfurled a banner reading “Las Malvinas son Argentinas” – which translates to “The Falkland Islands are Argentine”.
Players including Lionel Messi, Lisandro Martinez, and Giovanni Lo Celso were seen dancing wide-eyed and frantically waving the banner in celebration.
Earlier in the tournament, Messi led his teammates in a chant of “For the Malvinas, For Diego, For Leo’s last one” after knocking Switzerland out in the quarter-finals.
Despite their flag protests, the dancing finalists appeared unaware Britain had decisively established sovereignty of the Falkland Islands in 1982.
Argentina surrendered to the British after just 74 days of war in 1982.
Vice President Villarruel’s father was part of the Argentinian force which was sent packing in July that year.
The islands held a referendum on their sovereignty in 2013, with just three voters saying no while the other 99.8 per cent of voters opted to remain British.
But on Monday, Argentina’s Foreign Minister appeared to undermine any future referendum in the British Overseas Territory, saying that no poll “organised unilaterally by the UK can have legal effect”.
“We must not fall into the referendum trap,” Pablo Quirno said.
