It also makes me wonder if the third place match is still a good idea. After such big semifinal losses, many players do not seem excited to come back and play one more game. Maybe it is time to ask if this match is really needed.

England appeared to be heading to the World Cup final.

After Anthony Gordon gave England the lead in the 55th minute, Argentina struggled to find a way back into Wednesday’s semifinal in Atlanta. Then Lionel Messi changed the match. He provided two late assists as Enzo Fernández scored the equalizer in the 85th minute and Lautaro Martínez completed Argentina’s dramatic comeback in stoppage time.

Argentina won 2–1 and secured its place in Sunday’s World Cup final against Spain.

That could have been the end of an emotional and historic night. Instead, Argentina’s celebration quickly became political.

As the players celebrated on the field and faced their supporters, several members of the Argentine team displayed a banner reading, “Las Malvinas son argentinas,” or “The Falkland Islands are Argentine.”

The slogan refers to Argentina’s long-standing claim over the Falkland Islands, known in Argentina as Las Malvinas. The islands are a British Overseas Territory, and the dispute remains especially sensitive because Argentina and the United Kingdom fought a war over them in 1982.

Reports indicate that the banner came from Argentina supporters in the crowd. Giovani Lo Celso reportedly requested it before it was passed down to the players. However, where the banner came from may not be the most important question.

The players chose to display it on the field during an official FIFA event.

That could put Argentina in violation of FIFA’s rules against political messages.

The FIFA Disciplinary Code prohibits the use of “gestures, words, objects or any other means” to communicate messages that are inappropriate for a sporting event, particularly messages of a political, ideological, religious or offensive nature.

Football’s Laws of the Game also state that players and teams may be sanctioned for displaying political slogans, statements or images on their equipment. Although the banner was not part of the players’ uniforms, FIFA’s disciplinary rules are broad enough to cover political messages communicated through objects inside the stadium.

FIFA has now confirmed that its Disciplinary Committee is reviewing the match reports and considering the circumstances surrounding the display.

This would not be Argentina’s first punishment over the same message. FIFA previously fined the Argentine Football Association after the national team posed with a “Las Malvinas son argentinas” banner before a friendly match in 2014.

The question now is what FIFA will do this time.

Could the Argentine Football Association receive another fine? Could the players seen holding the banner be disciplined individually? More importantly, could any of them be suspended from Sunday’s World Cup final?

A suspension is possible under FIFA’s wider disciplinary powers, but it appears unlikely. Political-message cases have generally resulted in fines, warnings or disciplinary proceedings rather than immediate bans from major matches. Preventing important Argentine players from appearing in a World Cup final would be an extraordinary decision, particularly with so little time remaining before kickoff.

FIFA would also need to identify exactly which players participated and determine whether their conduct justified individual punishment rather than a sanction against the Argentine Football Association.

The most realistic outcome is therefore a fine or another disciplinary measure imposed on Argentina after the tournament, rather than the suspension of players before the final.

Still, FIFA has placed itself in a difficult position. Its regulations are designed to prevent football matches from becoming platforms for territorial, political or ideological disputes. The message displayed by the Argentine players was not vague. It was a direct political claim concerning territory disputed by Argentina and the United Kingdom, displayed immediately after Argentina eliminated England.

If FIFA chooses not to act, it risks making its rule against political messages appear selective or meaningless.

Argentina produced one of the most memorable comebacks of the World Cup. But instead of allowing the football to speak for itself, several players added a political message to the celebration.

Now, just two days before the World Cup final, FIFA must decide whether its own rules will be enforced.