Gary Lineker has sparked major backlash for his controversial Argentina comment ahead of the champions’ potential World Cup semi-final with England next week. The Three Lions legend has returned to punditry duties at this summer’s tournament, but has found himself at the centre of a storm over his handling of a sensitive political issue.

England face Norway on Saturday night, with the winners set to face either Argentina or Switzerland next week. After Thomas Tuchel’s side overcame altitude and atmosphere concerns to secure a dramatic 3-2 victory over Mexico at the Azteca Stadium last week, hopes are growing that the nation can bring football home for the first time in 60 years.

Standing in their way, however, would most likely be Lionel Messi, who is once again in the form of his life after inspiring Argentina to World Cup glory four years ago. Having already discussed how England could deal with his brilliance in a potential showdown, Lineker has now sparked a backlash among some supporters over his latest political comments.

Love him or hate him, Lineker will always be a decisive figure in football and the wider world because of the fact he’s never been scared to voice his political stance. With the Falkland Islands already a sensitive subject after Argentina players sung a chant about it in the dressing room following their late win vs Egypt, the former Leicester City striker renewed hostilities by referring to it by its Spanish name.

Speaking about the rivalry between the countries on The Rest is Football podcast, Lineker said (watch the full segment below): “England could face Argentina in a semi-final, we’re getting ahead of ourselves a fraction, but so much history between our nations isn’t there?

His reference to “Malvinas” – the Spanish name used by Argentina for the Falkland Islands – quickly prompted criticism on social media. One X user remarked: He really is such an insufferable and cruel man. Men died for the Falklands, fighting a fascist invasion and attempted land grab. The disrespect he shows them.”

ANother continued: “Very disrespectful to the Falkland veterans. A deeply unpatriotic man, who with hindsight should never have been allowed to play for England,” while a third wrote: “I couldn’t despise him more than I already do!” Elsewhere, another concluded: “He’s such a comically impulsive traitor.”

Why The Falkland Islands Are A Controversial Subject

Reuters/Brett Davis

The Falkland Islands remain a highly sensitive subject in Britain following the 1982 conflict between the UK and Argentina, with the sovereignty dispute continuing to be a source of political tension between the two countries.

The conflict – which lasted 74 days and ended with an Argentine surrender as the islands were returned to British control – saw 649 members of the Argentine military, 255 members of the British military, and three Falkland Islanders all killed. Despite decades passing since the war, current president Javier Milei strongly reaffirms his belief in Argentine sovereignty over the territories.

REUTERS

The football rivalry has also produced some of the sport’s most iconic moments, including Argentina’s controversial victory over England at the 1986 World Cup, when Diego Maradona scored both the infamous ‘Hand of God’ goal and his remarkable solo effort later dubbed the ‘Goal of the Century’.

England’s wait for revenge continued in 1998, but they have rarely come up against each other since. Indeed, the Three Lions got one over their rivals in 2002 with a 1-0 win, and a potential semi-final this year would be an incredible occasion. To prove the conflict between the two sides remains, English referees are banned from officiating Argentina due to political reasons.

For so many years, Cristiano Ronaldo chased the World Cup. However, after Portugal were knocked out by Spain at the Round of 16, his dream ended.

Speaking to the press after the game, Ronaldo admitted that this was his final World Cup, sparking some controversy as he then claimed: “The Euros was the most important. For me, 2016 has the same dimension as a World Cup, honestly.”

Despite saying 2026 was his last World Cup, he refused to confirm that he will be retiring from international football altogether. The Al-Nassr ace told the press, “I don’t make decisions in the heat of the moment.”

In the immediate aftermath of the defeat, Roberto Martinez announced that he would be stepping away. Portugal have acted quickly to appoint Jorge Jesus as his replacement. The first big decision the new manager will have to make will be about the nation’s 41-year-old striker.

Jorge Jesus Discusses Ronaldo’s Portugal Future

Having been named as the new Portugal manager, Jesus revealed that he has yet to talk personally to Ronaldo but has claimed he will welcome him back into the international set-up. The 71-year-old, who has signed a four-year contract with Portugal to run through the 2030 World Cup, told the media:

“I haven’t spoken to Cris yet. He will never be a problem for the national team or for me. As for the controversy, everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

“I need to speak with him to find out what he wants to do. He has always told me that he wants to finish his career at Al Nassr. If he is in a position to be called up, I will do so.”

Jesus Talks About Dropping Ronaldo

Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo crying via Reuters/Jerome Miron

Jesus already has an established relationship with Ronaldo, having coached him in the Saudi Pro League at Al-Nassr across the 2025/26 season. He referenced this when talking about the player’s age and how to get the best out of the 41-year-old.

Jesus suggested he would be willing to drop Ronaldo if needed, which is something former manager Martinez seemed hesitant to do. The new Portugal boss explained:

“I’m 71, but I feel 50 because I’m healthy. I train every day — an hour or two. It’s going to be a tough challenge, but I’m convinced we’ll win.

It will be very interesting to see if Ronaldo continues to play international football or finally hang up his boots. He has 146 goals in 233 games for Portugal, including three at the 2026 World Cup.

Southampton are showing an interest in signing an Aston Villa star in the summer transfer window as they aim to build a squad capable of gaining promotion to the Premier League.

The Saints will be incredibly disappointed that they failed to gain promotion to the Premier League last season.

The South Coast club were preparing to play in the Championship Playoff Final against Hull City before they were removed from the competition for spying on Middlesbrough ahead of their semi-final clash.

It’s now back to square one for the Saints in what is a huge blow after such a gruelling 25/26 campaign.

After failing to gain promotion, some of their star players will be looking for the exit door, which means we could see a host of players join the club.

Southampton eyeing new winger

According to a report from Darren Witcoop, Southampton are one of the sides showing an interest in signing Aston Villa forward Lewis Dobbin in the summer transfer window.

The journalist claims that Aston Villa are hoping to sell him on a permanent transfer rather than sanctioning another loan after he spent last season with Preston North End.

Dobbin, who can play out wide or through the middle of attack, enjoyed a strong loan spell in the Championship last season, providing 18 goals and assists in 33 starts in the league.

It remains to be seen whether the Saints will be willing to sign him on a permanent deal or if they’re looking to bring him in on loan.

Southampton need reinforcements everywhere

It’s shaping up to be an incredibly strong Championship for the 26-27 season, with Wolves and West Ham both relegated to the second tier.

Both Wolves and West Ham have a strong core of Premier League-level players, and they’re unlikely to sell all of them in the summer transfer window.

Wolves have already tied down Andre to a new contract, while West Ham still have the likes of Jarrod Bowen on their books.

As a result, Aston will need to bring in reinforcements for the summer transfer window if they want to be in contention for the automatic promotion spots.