England’s Jude Bellingham Slaps Argentina Player Over Goal Celebration After World Cup Collapse
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NEED TO KNOW
- Jude Bellingham slapped Argentina’s Valentin Barco after a controversial post-goal celebration on the field
- England lost 2-1 to Argentina in the 2026 FIFA World Cup semifinal, securing Argentina’s spot in the final
- Bellingham also clashed with Lionel Messi during the game, but later downplayed the moment as a minor disagreement over a missed foul
The semifinal World Cup game between England and Argentina came to a dramatic end.
Following England’s disappointing loss to Argentina at the 2026 FIFA World Cup semifinal on Wednesday, July 15 in Atlanta, Bellingham was seen in a tense confrontation with one of Argentina’s substitute players and appeared to slap him.
After teammate Enzo Fernandez scored the equalizing goal during the game, Valentin Barco — a sub for the winning team who ultimately didn’t play in the game — dashed onto the field and proceeded to celebrate the success in front of England.
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It was then that Bellingham approached Barco and appeared to slap him on the back of his head, before Argentina’s Nicolás Otamendi arrived to break up the spat.
It wasn’t immediately clear why Bellingham approached Barco, but at the time BBC commentator Paul Robinson, also a former goalkeeper for England, said Barco’s behavior was “probably the world example of sportsmanship we’ve seen at this World Cup.”
Bellingham was caught up in another confrontation earlier in the game with Argentina’s Lionel Messi, which saw two of the World Cup’s star players clash on the field. However, Bellingham told reporters after the game that the moment wasn’t as tense as it may have seemed.
“[We were] discussing a foul, actually,” Bellingham said of the moment with Messi, 39. “But it was nothing bad. I’m sure everyone will do their thing and make it a big deal. But no, it was nothing really.”
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“I thought there was a foul earlier,” Bellingham elaborated, “and he said, ‘Well what about the one on me?’ and I was kind of saying, ‘You’re strong enough to take it,’ you know what I mean?”
Bellingham added that he had no hard feelings against Messi, and that it’s been “a privilege to go against him.”
The game’s stakes were higher than ever on Wednesday, as the winner — ultimately Argentina, led by Messi — would secure its spot in the World Cup final against Spain on Sunday, July 19. England, meanwhile, will face France on Saturday for third place.
Read the original article on People
