The symbolic weight of the 2026 World Cup semifinal between Argentina and England is reigniting political tensions, exposing sharp differences between President Javier Milei and Vice President Victoria Villarruel, once allies and now political rivals.

While Malvinas War veterans and Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni sought to separate the match from politics and the still-open wound of the islands’ dispute, Villarruel embraced the symbolism.

On Tuesday night, hours before kickoff, the vice president — whose father was a Malvinas War veteran — wrote on X that Argentina would be playing “against the usurping pirates,” referring to the English and Britain’s continued control of the Malvinas Islands.

“This is not just another game. I will not be politically correct or leave my passion behind. When we face the English, there always is something else,” Villarruel wrote.

“It’s Malvinas, it’s Diego, it’s Leo’s last cup and it’s stopping the invaders,” she added, quoting lyrics from a new Argentina football anthem that pays tribute to Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi. “We will claim what is ours until........

© Buenos Aires Herald