They called on fans, communicators, and all of society to support the national team while respecting those who gave their lives for the Homeland. Football should serve as a bridge to raise awareness and remind the world that the Argentine claim is still valid.
A call for unity and respect
At the end of the statement, they left a powerful reflection: the ball rolls and pride for the jersey multiplies, but memory remains intact. They play for sporting glory, but march every day for historical truth.
This message comes in a context of great expectation for the semifinal clash. The Argentine National Team will seek to advance in the tournament, and the veterans hope that football passion does not overshadow respect for history or commitment to sovereignty.
The Federation emphasized that it is not about forgetting the past, but about living the sporting present with maturity. The Argentine fans, known for their fervor, now have the opportunity to show that they can cheer passionately without falling into extremes.
On the brink of a historic clash in the 2026 World Cup, the "April 2" Veterans Federation sent a clear message to Argentine society. They requested that the match between the National Team and England be experienced as a purely sporting event, without mixing it with the claim for the Falkland Islands.
The veterans recognize the symbolic weight of this confrontation due to the shared history, but insist on differentiating football from any armed conflict. "Sport is not a war" nor a revenge, it is just a match, they highlighted in their statement.
The organization valued the role of football in national identity and celebrated the great moment of the Albiceleste, which dreams of reaching the final. At the same time, they recalled the need to honor the memory of the 649 Argentines who fell in the Falklands War of 1982.
The claim for sovereignty
One of the central axes of the document is to defend the Malvinas cause through peaceful means. Sovereignty is defended in international forums, with diplomacy, historical truth, and peaceful claims, according to what the National Constitution dictates.
The veterans pointed out that the match against England is an opportunity to keep the Malvinas issue alive, but without fostering messages of hate or xenophobia. They invited the cry of "¡Malvinas Argentinas!" to resonate proudly in the stands, as an exercise in memory and sovereignty.