Aldi has gone viral after removing bottles of Argentinian Malbec from its shelves in solidarity with England's football team ahead of their World Cup semi-final clash against Argentina. The Three Lions face the South American side tonight, and the supermarket chain placed a sign in its wine aisle reading: 'We have removed our Argentinian Malbec from the shelves in solidarity ahead of the game tomorrow. It's coming home!'
Aldi's playful gesture sparks online buzz
In an Instagram post, Aldi wrote: 'The only thing NOT coming home is your nice bottle of vino (soz x).' The post quickly gained traction, with many users praising the lighthearted move. The supermarket's decision reflects the heightened excitement around England's first World Cup semi-final appearance since 2018.
Uber Eats joins in with tongue-in-cheek announcement
Uber Eats also got in on the act, joking on Instagram that Argentinian products would be temporarily removed from the app. The post stated: 'Uber Eats UK informs all users that, following England's qualification for tomorrow's fixture against Argentina, we have taken the difficult decision to temporarily suspend the sale of Argentine steak, chimichurri and empanadas across the app nationwide. Customers wanting to order dulce de leche may also experience limited availability until further notice. We appreciate your understanding while football takes priority. Normal service will resume after the final whistle. Thank you for your patience.'
Joe Groves, Head of Social at Uber, confirmed the post was a joke. 'I can confirm yesterday's post was a little light humour ahead of today's match and nothing that will be taking effect on the app – we love all of our restaurant partners and their amazing food!' he said.
Tesco and Waitrose take different approaches
Other supermarkets marked the occasion in their own ways. Tesco told Metro: 'We've turned our Wembley Extra store into England's “luckiest supermarket” by featuring multiple wooden touchpoints for customers to “touch wood” for luck and help do their bit for the team.' Meanwhile, Waitrose said it would keep all Argentinian Malbecs on shelves, adding: 'Food and drink is a great unifier, and while we'll be cheering on England, we prefer to keep our competitive spirit confined to the pitch, not in our wine aisles. For those customers wanting a patriotic choice, we have English fizz, ciders, and beers to toast our home team.'
