Argentina turns win over England into a national holiday — and the provocation didn't stop at the final whistle
The AFA officially declares July 15 as National Football Teams Day after a dramatic semifinal. But a Malvinas banner stole the spotlight.
Beating England in a World Cup semifinal would have been enough. Argentina decided to make the date eternal.
The Argentine Football Association (AFA) announced that July 15 will henceforth be National Football Teams Day — in honour of the 2–1 victory over England in the 2026 World Cup semifinal in Atlanta, according to BBC Sport.
The match was tense from start to finish. England took the lead in the 55th minute through Anthony Gordon and, with Thomas Tuchel banking on a defensive block, seemed to be steering the Three Lions toward their first final since 1966. But Argentina struck back with two clinical blows: one in the 85th minute and another in the 92nd. English hearts broken, once again.
The victory came exactly 40 years after Argentina's triumph in the controversial quarter-final clash at Mexico 86 — a coincidence the Argentines certainly did not let slide.
What followed the final whistle, however, went beyond football. Some Argentine players celebrated while holding a banner reading "Las Malvinas son Argentinas", reigniting the deep historical political tensions between the two countries. The Falkland Islands, a British territory in the South Atlantic, have been the subject of a sovereignty dispute since the 1982 war — a conflict that lasted 74 days and cost hundreds of lives on both sides.
At the tournament, Argentina went far, but not all the way: they lost the final to Spain 1–0.
The Golmetria model, ahead of the tournament, already saw Argentina as favourites to reach the final — with a 68% chance of making it — but gave them just a 6.9% probability of lifting the trophy. The numbers, in the end, proved prophetic.
A holiday created, a rivalry reignited, and a final that slipped away. Argentina won the game, but Spain won the Cup. Will 2030 be the year the story changes?