Downing Street backed calls for Fifa to investigate the incident, with the Prime Minister’s official spokesman saying: “The World Cup may not be ours, but the Falkland Islands definitely are. Our commitment to the Falklands will never waver.”

The No 10 added that any possible action against the Argentine players who unveiled the banner was “a matter for Fifa” but echoed Business Secretary Peter Kyle’s view that world football’s governing body should investigate.

For its part, the government of the Falkland Islands declared itself “disappointed but not surprised” by the banner and hopes that FIFA “sanctions all behavior of this nature according to its own rules.”

“We do not want politics to be incorporated into sport,” adds a statement.

“Nor do we want the Islands and their people to be used as a political football in every conversation about England and Argentina.”

In 2013, the people of the Falkland Islands voted overwhelmingly to remain an overseas territory of the United Kingdom.

Of the 1,517 votes cast in the two-day referendum, with a turnout of more than 90%, 1,513 were in favor, while only three votes were against.

Argentine Vice President Victoria Villarruel posted on X after Wednesday’s victory that “it wasn’t just another match,” along with a video of what appeared to be Argentine soldiers.

“The Malvinas are Argentine,” Villarruel published. “They prohibited bringing them to the stadium and they forgot that we carry them in our blood and in our hearts.”

The Argentine players also sang chants referencing Falklands and Argentina greats Maradona and Lionel Messi after their dramatic 3-2 victory over Egypt in the round of 16.

In 1982 a brief but bitter war arose between Great Britain and Argentina over the territory.

A British military task force expelled Argentine forces, who had landed in the Falklands to claim territory.

The 74-day conflict caused the death of 255 British soldiers, three islanders and 649 Argentine soldiers.