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Lionel Messi's emotional Argentina farewell was supposed to be a celebration of one of football's greatest careers, but some supporters used the occasion to revive a long-running dispute with England.
Banners referencing the Falkland Islands were displayed inside the Estadio Monumental during the 39-year-old's final international appearance.
Argentina fans display Falkland Islands banners in Lionel Messi's send-off match
Among the celebrations for Messi's 208th and final Argentina appearance were several banners reading “Las Malvinas son Argentinas” – translated as “The Falkland Islands are Argentine”.
The banners were displayed in front of an 85,000-strong crowd as Messi was given an emotional farewell following Argentina's 3-0 friendly win over Benin.
The issue has repeatedly surfaced during sporting encounters between the two nations.
Argentina players themselves displayed the same message following their 2026 World Cup semi-final victory over England, prompting a strong response in the UK and a FIFA investigation because of rules prohibiting political messaging at tournaments.
The Falkland Islands, known as the Malvinas in Argentina, remain a deeply sensitive sovereignty dispute.
Britain has controlled the islands since 1833, and the two countries fought a war over them in 1982, while a 2013 referendum saw 99.8 per cent of islanders vote to retain their status as a British territory.
The issue has continued to appear around Argentina sporting events, including when rugby supporters displayed similar banners during a Pumas fixture against South Africa in August.
Messi's farewell, however, was primarily about the Argentina captain's extraordinary international career. He scored a second-half penalty and provided two assists against Benin before addressing the crowd for almost 10 minutes.
“I leave grateful, proud and at peace. Thank you for everything,” Messi told supporters, with several teammates reportedly in tears.
FGG says: Argentina fans' Falklands message was a strange part of Messi's farewell
It was an extraordinary night built around celebrating Messi and his contribution to Argentina, which makes the decision by some supporters to bring the Falklands dispute into the occasion rather strange.
The sovereignty issue clearly remains deeply important to many Argentinians and has repeatedly appeared at sporting events involving England, but this was Messi's night rather than a match against England.
With the focus otherwise firmly on celebrating the 39-year-old's final appearance, the banners inevitably added another layer to an already long-running sporting and political rivalry.