Argentina accuses UK of military incursion near Falklands after World Cup clash

Argentina has accused a British Royal Navy warship of making an "illegal journey" into its territorial waters, hours after the South American nation defeated England 2-1 in the 2026 FIFA World Cup semi-final in Atlanta, an Independent.co.uk report said. Britain, however, rejected the allegation, insisting that Argentina had been informed in advance about the vessel's planned movement and that the transit complied with international law.

Argentine Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno alleged that Royal Navy patrol vessel HMS Medway entered Argentina's waters without formally notifying his government, Independent.co.uk reported. In a statement issued on Wednesday night, Quirno described the move as a "military incursion" into Argentine waters.

He said a "formal note of protest" had been submitted to the British embassy to register "the strongest objection" to the alleged breach, the report added.

FALKLAND ISLANDS REFERENCE STIRS ROW

HMS Medway is a Batch 2 River-class offshore patrol vessel that is usually based in the Falkland Islands in South Atlantic Ocean.

The diplomatic row unfolded just hours after Argentina secured a 2-1 comeback victory over England in the FIFA World Cup semi-final, booking a place in a second successive summit clash.

The match also reignited the long-running sovereignty dispute over the Falkland Islands after Argentina's players celebrated with a banner reading, "Las Malvinas son Argentinas" ("The Falkland Islands are Argentinian").

Political tensions between Buenos Aires and London over the Falklands date back decades and escalated into the 1982 war after Argentina invaded the islands.

Buenos Aires continues to claim sovereignty over the archipelago, located around 300 miles from mainland Argentina and nearly 8,000 miles from Britain.

Ahead of the match, Argentina Vice-President Victoria Villarruel had described England as "invaders" and "usurping pirates".

After the victory, she shared images of the players holding the banner and wrote: "The Falklands are Argentine! They banned bringing them to the stadium and forgot that we carry them in our blood and our hearts".

REFERENCE DRAWS BRITAIN'S IRE

The banner drew criticism in Britain. Business Secretary Peter Kyle called it "completely inappropriate" and urged FIFA to examine whether the display violated rules against political messaging.

"I had left and gone to bed before the banner came onto the pitch, but I saw the images this morning, and of course, it's entirely inappropriate," he said.

"Politics should stay away from football. That is a very clear principle of the World Cup, but any consequences that come from that is now a decision for FIFA".

UK RUBBISHES 'INCURSION' CLAIMS

Rejecting Argentina's allegation, the British Prime Minister's Office said the government had notified Buenos Aires before HMS Medway's voyage, HuffPost reported.

"The facts here are that we notified the Argentinian government in advance of HMS Medway undertaking a routine logistics visit to Chile between 5 and 8 July to support British Antarctic survey operations, which will deliver essential stores and supplies to sustain scientific research in Antarctica," the Prime Minister's official spokesperson said.

Responding to questions about the players' banner, Downing Street reiterated Britain's longstanding position on the Falkland.

"The UK's position is clear, the islanders have repeatedly expressed their wish to remain a British territory and their right to self-determination is paramount,” it said. "The Falkland Islanders are British with the right to determine their own future."

The latest diplomatic exchange underscores how the Falkland Islands dispute continues to influence relations between Argentina and the UK.

While Buenos Aires has formally protested the alleged naval movement and the football celebrations have sparked calls for a FIFA probe, London has firmly rejected the accusations, setting the stage for further diplomatic exchanges in the coming days.

- Ends