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Alexis Mac Allister and Lisandro Martínez have reportedly reinforced security at their residences in Liverpool and Manchester United, respectively, following the controversy sparked after the 2026 World Cup, where several members of the Argentine National Team displayed a banner reading "The Falklands are Argentine" after eliminating England in the semifinals and mocking the team.
Are they in danger? Below, we tell you what is known about the situation according to reports provided after the return of both players to their clubs.
As it has emerged, both Argentine players hired private security firms to monitor their families and homes in England for fear of acts of violence or vandalism weeks after the controversial match between La Albiceleste and England in the semifinals of the World Cup, where the confrontation went beyond sports and focused on geopolitical and historical issues.
British media such as The Sun and Sky News assert that the Argentines fear being the target of some form of attack by English fans upset over the banner and, in general, by the match where they eliminated Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham's team.
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Both outlets agree that the decision for extra protection was made by the footballers themselves and not by their clubs.
So far, this information comes from British media reports and has not been officially confirmed by the Argentine players or their clubs.
¿Qué pasó en el partido de Argentina vs Inglaterra? ¿ Por qué temerían por su vida?
The controversy began after Argentina's victory over England, when some Albiceleste players posed with a banner that read "The Falkland Islands are Argentine," a slogan linked to the historical sovereignty conflict between Argentina and the United Kingdom.
In images released after the match, Giovani Lo Celso, another Argentine player on the Real Betis team, also appeared holding the banner alongside other members of the squad.
The episode sparked an intense debate on social media and in British media. One of the most attention-grabbing statements came from analyst Nile Gardiner, a former aide to former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, who publicly called for the work visas of Argentine footballers playing in the Premier League who participated in the celebration to be revoked.
Through his X account, Gardiner stated that the players involved should lose the right to work in the United Kingdom and called for a "zero-tolerance policy" toward demonstrations that he considered offensive to the country.
His statements provoked divided reactions and reignited the debate over the boundaries between political expression and sports celebrations.
The conflict over the Falkland Islands has maintained diplomatic tensions for decades. Argentina maintains that it inherited sovereignty over the archipelago after gaining independence from Spain and considers that the United Kingdom illegally occupied the islands.
For its part, the British government defends its administration of the territory and the right to self-determination of its inhabitants.
The banner displayed by the footballers also echoed a position previously expressed by Argentine President Javier Milei, who recently stated that the islands "were, are, and always will be Argentine," a declaration that placed the issue back at the center of the controversy.
[Publicidad]