Jude Bellingham got into an altercation after Argentina’s win over England (Image: BBC Sport)
Jude Bellingham’s frustration seemed to have reached breaking point after England were eliminated from the World Cup, as he was caught on camera slapping Valentin Barco. Barco was arm-in-arm with Lautaro Martinez and Julian Alvarez as Bellingham approached the trio. The Real Madrid star appeared to reach out and punch Barco in the back of the head, sparking an angry reaction.
The full-back spun around to face Bellingham, sparking another flashpoint in a match that threatened to erupt from the opening whistle. One supporter raged on social media: “Bellingham are the bastards. Why are they bashing Barco in the head?” “Bellingham went to punch Barco during Argentina’s celebration. Pathetic, pathetic, loser,” another said.
Meanwhile, a third wrote: “Bellingham is so stupid to slap Balko on the head like that. Is he the one who asked you so much to stop the fight?” Another said: “Look at Bellingham whining after Argentina won, disappearing during the game and taking a swing at Colo Barco!”
There were some uncomfortable moments in Atlanta as Aston Villa playmaker Morgan Rodgers had to be taken out of the match. The cause of Bellingham’s anger has not yet been explained.
It was a tense game as Argentina tried to involve England’s players, especially Bellingham, throughout the 90 minutes.
BBC Sport co-commentator and former England captain Alan Shearer said: “I think the best team won. I can’t complain about that. We’ve got to be open and honest. Their reaction was fantastic.”
“England got lucky as they hit the posts a few times, but they didn’t panic, stuck to their game plan, believed in what they were doing and got it done.”
“The substitutions worked. You have to praise and respect them for getting back into the game. It pains me to say it, but they deserve to be in Sunday’s final.”
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Jude Bellingham slaps Valentin Barco on the back of the head (Image: BBC)
Jude Bellingham slaps Argentina’s Valentin Barco (Image: BBC)
The Argentine, who had already overcome difficulties on his way to the final against Cape Verde, Egypt and Switzerland, was in tears after producing yet another dramatic escape. Lionel Scaloni’s side needed extra time to defeat the two African nations and used their numerical advantage to defeat Switzerland.
England looked to protect their slim advantage with Tuchel making a slew of changes and opting to finish the game against the reigning champions. Argentina made a series of offensive changes and completely changed the semi-finals with their fast-break scoring.
The former Chelsea and Bayern Munich manager may come under scrutiny for taking a defensive approach with 15 minutes remaining. Wayne Rooney believed he was made to pay for the final 25 minutes as England invited an onslaught.
He said: “You have to be on top all the time during the game. We wait with a one-goal lead, make changes and go back to six points, but if you allow Messi to come on, you and Argentina are asking for trouble.”
This will be similar to the 2018 World Cup, where England lost in the semi-finals to Croatia, and will now face France in a battle for third place.
