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Niall Horan has said he has “nothing but love” for Argentina after being accused of mocking the country after their World Cup defeat.

Spain beat Argentina in a heated World Cup final on Sunday (18 July), a game that resulted in chaos when Argentina players Leandro Paredes and Nahuel Molina tried to start brawls with Spanish players after the final whistle.

After the match, former One Direction singer Horan liked a post titled: “8 times Argentina were really nice guys during the World Cup final,” a carousel of photos that poked fun at an earlier controversy involving the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands.

Niall Horan described liking post as ‘honest mistake’ (PA)

An international row was sparked when Argentine players held up a banner that read “Las Malvinas son Argentinas”, which translates to “The Falkland Islands are Argentinian”, in the wake of their 2-1 victory over England in the World Cup semi-final.

Political tensions linger between Argentina and the UK over the Falkland Islands, which escalated into armed conflict in 1982 after Argentina invaded the islands. Buenos Aires claims sovereignty over the Falklands, which are about 8,000 miles from Britain and 300 miles from Argentina.

Horan’s fans from Argentina criticised the singer for liking the post, with some accusing him of letting them down and others claiming he “hated” the country. But he called it an “honest mistake”.

Niall responded to criticism from his Argentine fans on X (X/Twitter)

“Truly didn’t even realise I’d liked the post and don’t even remember seeing it,” he said, addressing the response directly. “I have nothing but love for Argentina and all my fans there.”

A Fifa spokesperson said: “As is standard procedure, Fifa’s independent Disciplinary Committee is currently assessing the match reports and considering the relevant circumstances before deciding on potential further steps based on the Fifa Disciplinary Code.”

The Argentine Football Association (AFA) was previously fined £20,000 by Fifa in 2014 after Argentina’s players held up a banner with the same message.

The governing body said the actions, which followed a friendly win over Slovenia, had breached rules on political action and team misconduct. Argentina fans have chanted songs referencing the islands throughout this World Cup.

Article 34.3 of Fifa’s rules prohibits the display of any political messages or slogans by players before, during or after a match.