"Mixing oil and water": Javier Milei against the Argentine national team players
Javier Milei once again criticized the Argentine national team players for waving the Falkland Islands flag after their victory over England in the 2026 World Cup semi-final. The President argued that football and politics should not be mixed, emphasizing that the struggle for the archipelago must be handled through diplomatic channels.
Javier Milei once again criticized the players of the Argentine national team for waving the Falkland Islands flag after the victory over England in the 2026 World Cup semi-final. The President argued that football and political issues should not be mixed, and emphasized that the struggle to reclaim the archipelago must be conducted solely through diplomatic means.
During an interview, the President used the example of Elvis Presley to strengthen his position:
"In an interview, they asked him about the Vietnam War. He replied that he does not express himself on political issues, because he is a person who works in the entertainment industry," he said. He then added: "It is not right to mix oil and water. It is about sport, about a game."
He later praised the position of the national team coach: "I agree with what Scaloni said." He then distinguished between the role of the players and the role of public figures:
"Players can do such things in the heat of the moment. A politician cannot afford such a thing, because his statement could be equivalent to a declaration of war."
Another segment that aroused great interest was Milei's reference to Diego Maradona and the historic goals he scored against England in the 1986 World Cup in Mexico. "We must maintain restraint. None of Maradona's goals against the English returned the Falkland Islands to us," he said.
These remarks join his previous statements, in which he criticized the decision of the national team players to celebrate after the match against England with the traditional chant "The Falkland Islands are Argentine." On that occasion, he said: "The players are not part of the diplomatic apparatus. It was an irresponsible act."
He reiterated that the demand for sovereignty should not be linked to a football match. "Fortunately, these insolent things came from unimportant people, whom no one really cares about. One must not mix these things. A football match is a football match. There are mistakes that cannot be accepted. The Falkland Islands are Argentine, and we will return them through diplomatic means," he concluded.
