In the aftermath of England crashing out of the 2026 World Cup following their defeat in the semi-final, their opponents Argentina look set to face disciplinary action for a controversial flag held up in the wake of beating their old enemies.
For anyone who quickly turned off the telly after the Three Lions ‘ 2-1 defeat and might have missed it, the Argentinian national squad waved a makeshift sign which read: “Las Malvinas son Argentinas.”
In English, this translates to “The Falklands are Argentine.”
Referring to the historic conflict between the two countries, which took place more than four decades ago, the statement has been described as inflammatory by some, with No. 10 Downing Street having issued an official response as the team now reportedly risks punishment by FIFA.
Multiple major outlets now believe that a financial penalty at the very least is expected to be passed down for the divisive political message.
As noted by the BBC above, this is by no means the first time this has happened, and perceived ‘tragedy chanting’ among other problematic behaviour from both fan bases has been a recurring issue whenever the two sides have played since.
To put things into context, the Falklands War, which lasted for 74 days, led to the deaths of 655 Argentine and 255 British servicemen, with three civilians on the islands also losing their lives.
As such, there is still plenty of bad blood between the South American country and Great Britain, with members of the nation’s leading party even weighing in with provocative and rather public posts on social media ahead of the game.
Vice President Victoria Villarruel has been among the most vocal online .
The reaction from the UK government was direct, too, with business secretary Peter Kyle telling Sky News: “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.
“Politics should stay away from football. That is a very clear principle of the World Cup , but any consequences that come from that are now a decision for FIFA.”
Speaking to the BBC, he went on to add: “We expect FIFA to undertake an investigation into this. I think it was certain to happen because it was such an egregious violation of the rules of not having political activity as part of football.”
It’s also worth noting that Argentina have prior form for this kind of display.
The predicted outcome looks more than likely, with FIFA having previously fined £20,000 for a similar stunt before a friendly against Slovenia back in 2014.
‘La Albiceleste’ and their fellow compatriots won’t care one bit, of course, as they’re now into another World Cup final and could join Brazil, Italy and France in becoming back-to-back global champions.
Meanwhile, plenty have criticised Thomas Tuchel ‘s change in tactics and substitutions as England went more defensive after going a goal up, and the post-mortem from his first run as manager will no doubt continue in the coming days; whether he makes it consecutive tournaments or not, we’ll wait and see.
If you're a fan of all-things chicken, then this is the spot for you.
Introducing The Rotisserie Club, that's doing exactly what it says on the tin...rotisserie chicken.
Taking over the former Shokupan site at 27 Wellington Street, the new restaurant aims to bring a new go-to lunch spot to that area of town.
And we've got a very strong feeling it's going to go down an absolute storm amongst gym bunnies and office dwellers alike.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Brought to the city by Norman of Spuds n Bros fame and Luigi from Habitum and La Bottega Milanese, you just know you're in good hands.
The idea is to split the day between the two businesses, with Habitum taking care of the morning coffee crowd before The Rotisserie Club takes over from lunchtime. Sounds like a match made in heaven if you ask us.
That means early birds can get their caffeine fix before the focus shifts to a menu centred around rotisserie-cooked chicken.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Expect chicken-filled Caesar wraps, bowls, salads, wings and stuffed pittas, as well as half and whole chickens served with their signature house dripping potatoes.
You can dip or drench your chicken in their range of sauces, and then you’ve got yourself something worth licking your fingers over.
Not only that, but in the future they'll be opening in the evenings so you can have your chicken fix alongside a tipple or two.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
It's great to see two independent businesses team together to create something completely new in the city, and we can't wait to see how well it's received by food lovers in the city centre.
Move over Nando's, The Rotisserie Club is officially in town.
An authentic hand-pulled noodle restaurant is coming to Leeds city centre
Clementine Hall
If you're a fan of thick, chewy noodles, then you're going to like this one.
And that's because The Merrion Centre in Leeds is set to welcome Lano Noodles, an authentic hand-pulled noodle spot.
Specialising in freshly made noodles, authentic Lanzhou-style beef noodle soup and traditional Chinese snacks, the independent restaurant will be unlike anything you can currently find in Leeds city centre.
The new restaurant will occupy approximately 2,150 sq ft across two floors, and will create between seven and ten jobs.
You'll be able to grab your food to-go as well as eat-in.
Charles Newman, Associate Director of Estates at Town Centre Securities PLC (TCS), owners of the Merrion Centre, commented: "We're delighted to welcome Lano Noodles to the Merrion Centre, particularly as the team has chosen Leeds for its very first restaurant.
"Its location on Merrion Way, directly opposite the first direct bank arena, is perfectly positioned to attract a diverse mix of customers, from students and city centre workers to shoppers and eventgoers.
"The combination of freshly prepared, authentic food, convenient grab-and-go options and relaxed dining is a great fit for this busy part of the city. It's fantastic to see another independent operator investing in Leeds, creating new jobs and adding to our growing international food offering."
A spokesperson for Lano Noodles Ltd added: "We're really excited to be opening our first restaurant at the Merrion Centre and introducing our freshly made hand-pulled noodles to Leeds.
"We chose the location because of its strong footfall and diverse customer base. We want to create a welcoming, informal space where people can enjoy authentic Chinese food, whether they're grabbing a quick lunch or sitting down for a relaxed meal with friends.
"We can't wait to welcome our first customers and share the flavours of Lanzhou with the Leeds community."
Danny Jones -
16th July 2026 
