Security placed at homes of Argentina stars after World Cup win

Argentina's 2-1 victory over England in the World Cup semifinal led to tensions after defender Lisandro Martínez held up a sign reading 'The Falkland Islands belong to Argentina'. Following the charged atmosphere, private security was placed around the homes of Martínez and Alexis Mac Allister in northwest England.

Argentina's 2-1 victory over England in the World Cup semifinal sparked tensions between the countries after defender Lisandro Martínez was seen holding a sensitive political sign reading 'The Falkland Islands belong to Argentina', surrounded by teammates including Alexis Mac Allister, Cristian Romero, and Giovani Lo Celso. Following the charged atmosphere and sharp criticism in the British media, private security was placed around the homes of Martínez and Mac Allister, who live in northwest England. Manchester United clarified that it was not involved in arranging security for its defender. The article notes that fear of an extreme reaction from the English public is not unfounded, given the memory of the vandalism of Marcus Rashford's mural after his miss in the Euro 2021 final, but also suggests it may be an overreaction.