The Argentinian football team has posed with a banner proclaiming the Falkland Islands belong to Argentina before a World Cup warm-up match.
Prior to their game against Slovenia in Buenos Aires which they won 2-0, the banner, bearing the slogan 'Las Malvinas son Argentinas', translated into English as 'The Malvinas are Argentinian' was unfurled.
The Malvinas is the Spanish name for the South Atlantic territory, which has had British sovereignty since 1833.
Message: Argentina players up a banner saying 'The Falklands are Argentine' before their clash with Slovenia
The conflict over the disputed archipelago came to a head in 1982 with the Falklands War, which saw a British taskforce sent to islands after an Argentinian invasion.
The war led to the deaths of 255 British military personnel as well as 649 Argentinians.
Argentina has long laid claim to sovereignty of the islands and the message displayed by the team seems to show support for the country's claims.
Since President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner took power in 2007, there have been repeated diplomatic clashes with Britain over the territory.
In April, Argentina also accused Britain of provocative behaviour by planning to carry out military exercises in the Falkland Islands.
Mrs de Kirchner was quoted as saying: 'History shows that colonial enclaves are always recovered.'
But despite the claims, people on the islands voted by 1,513 to three in favour of remaining British in a referendum last year, which Prime Minister David Cameron said 'could not have sent a clearer message'.
The banner was unfurled before Argentina recorded a 2-0 victory against Slovenia in Buenos Aires
The World Cup kicks off in Brazil on Thursday with Argentina's opening match of the tournament coming against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Sunday.
Earlier this month it was revealed that at the height of the Falklands crisis, the British government agonised over whether to demand British teams withdraw from the 1982 World Cup in Spain, amid fears they might have had to play Argentina.
England, Scotland and Northern Ireland all qualified for the tournament and papers released by the National Archives at Kew, west London showed that prior to the competition, the government were concerned that playing Argentina would be unacceptable.
SPAIN'S WORLD CUP WIN BONUS SPARKS OUTRAGE AS PLAYERS WILL RECEIVE £600,00 IF THEY WIN TOURNAMENT
Spain's Juan Mata who could receive an almost £600,000 bonus if his country lift the World Cup in Brazil
Spanish politicians have reacted with anger after it was revealed the country's national team will receive an almost £600,000 bonus if they win the World Cup in Brazil.
Players including captain Iker Casillas and vice-captain Xavi Hernandez signed the deal with Spain's football federation on last week on behalf of the 23 players, which will see them receive 720,000 euros (585,365) if they lift the trophy.
It marks an increase from the 600,000 euros (£487,804) each player received when their country won the 2010 tournament in South Africa.
MPs Pablo Martin Pere and Susana Ros of the opposition Socialist party criticised the premium as 'disproportionate' and 'an insult to citizens' given the recent economic crisis.
Spain's economy began to crumble in 2008 with the collapse of its bloated property sector and unemployment soared to 26.1% at the close of 2013.
MP Laia Ortiz said she would raise the matter of the squad's premium in parliament and lambasted football for being 'another world' where 'there is no crisis'.
Each member will receive a payment of 360,000 euros (£292,682) if the team reach the final, and 180,000 euros (£146,341) if they make the semi-finals.
But Manchester United and Spain midfielder Juan Mata said such payments were 'sometimes used against us', but that he would be playing 'with the same enthusiasm I had as a child, in a bid to try and win another World Cup, without thinking about all the rest.'
The 2014 World Cup winner will be awarded £20.8 million by Fifa, football's governing body, but many say the money should go towards programmes that promote the game at all levels.
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