Argentina announce national holiday to celebrate England win as Falklands banner plan emerges

The Argentine Football Association has earmarked July 15 as National Football Teams Day. The date has been selected in part to commemorate the country's World Cup semi-final victory over England this summer.

It's also emerged that the controversial banner displayed after the game, which backed Argentina's claims to the Falklands, is to be given to Argentine veterans of the conflict. It was on July 15, in Atlanta, that Lionel Scaloni's side dashed England's dreams of reaching a first World Cup final since 1966 with two late goals in a 2–1 victory.

Argentina ultimately lost the final to Spain, 1-0. At a meeting of their Association and Professional League Executive Committee, which was led by Claudio Tapia, the president of the AFA, the organisation decided to mark the day.

A statement said: "The tribute is not solely for that milestone achieved by the senior national team. The recognition is, of course, also for each and every one of the national teams - youth, men’s and women’s - that train day in and day out at the Lionel Andres Messi complex with the hope, joy, and responsibility of defending the national colours."

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A permanent day to remember the victory came as defeating the Three Lions “set the whole country alight, with people flooding the streets in pure celebration," according to the statement.

Argentina's actions in the aftermath of the final whistle led FIFA to open disciplinary proceedings against the country after players unfurled the banner that read: "Las Malvinas son Argentinas." That translates to The Malvinas (the Spanish name for The Falklands) are Argentine.

FIFA say breaches include the use of discriminatory chants and gestures, misconduct, security and protocol failures and the display of inappropriate messages.

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The Falklands are a British Overseas Territory located in the south-west Atlantic Ocean. They are the subject of a fierce dispute between the two nations.

In 1982, Argentina invaded the islands, leading to war. The conflict spanned 74 days and led to the deaths of 655 Argentine and 255 British soldiers, while three people who lived on the islands also died.

The banner was handmade from a bed sheet with the slogan written in black paint. It was passed to former Manchester United defender Lisandro Martínez, Tottenham defender Cuti Romero and ex-Spurs player Giovanni Lo Celso, although all the majority of the Argentinian players lined up behind the banner's message.

The banner's creators are reportedly members of a group from Villa Luro, a district of Buenos Aires. According to a report via InfoBae, they managed to smuggle the flag into the stadium in Atlanta by concealing it in their underwear.

The DIY flag has since inspired imitations in stadiums across Argentine football, with some clubs, such as Ferro Carril Oeste, adopting the typeface and showing off a version of their own.

It's been claimed the controversial banner is in "good hands" after being kept by Patricio Auber, who accompanied the team delegation to the World Cup. The flag now is said to reside in the country and will soon be handed over to Argentines who fought in the Falklands conflict.