The topic is at the center of the debate. The FIFA 2026 World Cup regulations expressly prohibit the display of political messages or slogans by players and other members of the teams, both during the matches and at their conclusion. The rule could have implications following the appearance of a banner referring to the Malvinas Islands by Argentine players after eliminating England.
“Both players and other delegation members will be prohibited from displaying political, religious, or personal messages or slogans, in any language or format, before the match, during the national anthems, during the match, and after its conclusion,” states article 34 (point 4.3) of the FIFA Match Protocol.
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The precedent of South Korea that threatens the World Cup final
The same document adds: “They will be prohibited from displaying commercial messages or slogans, in any language or format, during their participation in official activities organized by FIFA (including official matches and training sessions, as well as official press conferences and activities in the mixed zone).”
The regulations also establish that each participating federation will be responsible for the conduct of its delegation members and that the FIFA Disciplinary Committee retains the authority to investigate ex officio any possible infringement, in accordance with the organization’s Disciplinary Code.
That code includes, among offenses related to offensive conduct, the use of a sporting event to make statements unrelated to the sporting context.
Likewise, article 17, concerning order and security at matches, provides sanctions when one or more fans of a federation use gestures, words, objects, or any other means to convey inappropriate messages at a sporting event, especially those of a political, ideological, religious, or offensive nature.
The precedent of the 2012 London Olympic Games
There is a precedent often cited in these types of cases. During the 2012 London Olympic Games, South Korea defeated Japan in the bronze medal match. Amid the celebration, footballer Park Jong-woo held up a sign with the phrase “Dokdo is our territory”, referring to an archipelago whose sovereignty is disputed by South Korea and Japan, recalled the newspaper Marca.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) considered it a political statement and decided to prevent the player from ascending the podium to receive his medal alongside his teammates.
Subsequently, after an investigation conducted jointly with FIFA, the organization allowed Park to keep his medal and other sporting recognitions, although both entities disapproved of using a sporting venue to express a political message. FIFA opened a disciplinary file and the player received a two-match suspension. The South Korean Olympic Committee maintained that the action was not premeditated and that the player simply took the sign from a fan.
In light of that precedent, some experts consider that FIFA could open an investigation if it concludes that there was a violation of its regulations. Potential sanctions could range from warnings or financial fines to the Argentine Football Association (AFA) and the players involved to other disciplinary measures, depending on the severity of the facts and what the organization’s Disciplinary Committee determines.
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