Argentina VP calls England 'usurping pirates, invaders' ahead of world cup semi-final

As England takes on Argentina in the 2026 FIFA World Cup semi-final, the two countries' politicians are also exchanging heated words.

Just days after Argentinian foreign minister Pablo Quirno and England Prime Minister Keir Starmer locked horns over the Falkland Islands territorial dispute, the Argentinian Vice President Victoria Villarruel has stepped in.

She described England as “usurping pirates” adding, “This is not an ordinary match.”

Villarruel said she would not try to be politically correct, saying, “It’s always something more against the English. It’s the Malvinas, it’s Diego, it’s Leo’s last run, and it’s stopping the invaders in their tracks.”

Expressing her support for Argentina, the VP said, “We will keep claiming what is ours.”

Argentina and England have a territorial dispute over the Falkland Islands, which in Spanish are known as Malvinas. Both countries fought a 74-day bloody war in 1982 when Argentina invaded but later surrendered.

The islands are currently controlled by England and hold the status of British overseas territory. In a 2013 referendum, the residents of the island

As politicians continue trying to hype the match as some geopolitical conflict, the Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said: “It’s a football match, plain and simple. So, mixing the two would be madness.”