Jude Bellingham became embroiled in a feisty row with Argentina’s Valentin Barco following the final whistle of England’s World Cup semi-final, but the tensions that eventually boiled over appeared to have been building long before the referee blew for full-time.
Bellingham, who appeared to slap the back of Barco’s head after the match, seemed to have been irritated by the Argentina substitute’s actions following Enzo Fernandez’s dramatic 85th-minute equaliser.
After Fernandez found the net, Barco sprinted onto the pitch to celebrate. Rather than heading directly towards the corner flag to join the goalscorer and his Argentina team-mates, the Strasbourg defender charged through a group of dejected England players.
Footage showed John Stones pushing Barco away in apparent frustration as England’s players waited for the lengthy celebrations to subside.
And the ill-feeling resurfaced at full-time. In the moments before the confrontation, Tottenham captain Cristian Romero was seen appearing to goad Bellingham after the final whistle.
Barco was then being consoled by an Argentina team-mate when he turned and appeared to say something, although it was unclear who his comment was directed towards or what was said. Moments later, Bellingham seemed to lose his composure, with the exchange culminating in the England midfielder aiming a slap at the back of Barco’s head.
Jude Bellingham clashed with Argentina substitute Valentina Barco after the semi-final
He was also at loggerheads with defender Nicolas Otamendi as other players tried to stop them
Bellingham appeared to slap Barco on the back of the head
The full-back then turned around and pushed Bellingham with tempers flaring. Nicolas Otamendi also came over and gave the England man a shove.
Several Argentinian players attempted to act as peacemakers, but it looked as if Bellingham and Otamendi wanted more head-to-head action – even when they were separated.
During the celebrations, Argentina’s stars held aloft a banner that read: ‘The Malvinas (Falklands) are ours.’
That has led to calls for the players involved to face disciplinary action from FIFA.
Despite FIFA’s ban on political flags, Tottenham captain Romero, Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez and ex-Spurs midfielder Giovani Lo Celso celebrated with the controversial sign after the final whistle.
Captain and star player Lionel Messi was also seen dancing alongside the banner.
FIFA has yet to comment, but the governing body is under huge pressure to punish Argentina for flouting its rules. Manchester United and Spurs are being urged to punish Romero and Martinez.
Twelve years ago, the team carried the same banner at an international friendly and was fined just £20,000.
But there are growing calls for the players who carried the banner at a match of such magnitude – watched by an estimated 950 million people worldwide – to face tougher sanctions.
A total of 255 British servicemen were among the 907 people who died in the 1982 Falklands War, which saw UK armed forces retake the islands after an Argentine invasion.
Britain first landed on the uninhabited islands in 1690 and claimed them for the Crown in 1765. It has maintained a permanent presence there since 1833 – 47 years before Argentina became a fully unified state following its declaration of independence from Spain in 1816.
The last official referendum of Falkland Islanders was held in 2013, when 99.8 per cent of voters chose to remain a British Overseas Territory.
The offensive banner made a terrible night even worse for England. The team were leading 1-0 with just five minutes remaining before Messi’s men fought back to win.
Thomas Tuchel is facing calls to be sacked over his tactical decisions and defensive substitutions as England stood on the verge of reaching their first World Cup final since 1966.
The German manager insisted after the game that he had ‘no regrets’, but pundits and fans have turned on him after his team surrendered the lead when he took off speedy goalscorer Anthony Gordon and replaced the winger with defender Ezri Konsa.
Tuchel then took off Declan Rice for Nico O’Reilly and Reece James for Dan Burn in a further retreat 10 minutes later. Enzo Fernandez equalised with five minutes left and Lautaro Martinez won it for Argentina in stoppage time.
Bellingham was goaded by Argentina star Cristian Romero at the final whistle
Bellingham, who enjoyed a brilliant tournament, appeared pained at that. In seeming frustration at Jordan Pickford, who produced a number of impressive saves, he looked to the sky, stretched out his arms, and appeared to say: ‘It’s in the middle of the goal.’
Tuchel concluded to BBC Sport: ‘We’re disappointed, we were so close but we got too passive after we scored and conceded a lot of chances.
‘We could not turn the ball possession around and then conceded so many crosses, chances and shots. We were close but couldn’t keep the level up after we scored.
‘Of course we wanted to go for the second goal but I did not have the feeling that offensive substitutions would help. We stayed in our 4-4-2 but we became passive, more and more passive.
‘We couldn’t win any balls, we couldn’t keep the ball so I think it was not a structural problem, we changed nothing. But the match changed completely.’
Harry Kane said: ‘I’m gutted for the boys, the team, the staff, the fans. We played a good game for the vast majority of it. Once we went 1-0 up, we seemed to try and hold on. At this level that’s not enough. Just gutted as we worked so hard to be here and the boys gave every last bit of sweat, blood, and tears.
‘We struggled to get pressure on the ball. First half, start of second half, we pressed well and put them under pressure. After the goal, whether it was them putting more men forward or us not being able to match them man-for-man, it was wave after wave. Lads were putting blocks in but it wasn’t enough.
‘The boys are ready for any moment. When we went ahead, the messaging was to go again and get another goal. Once they scored their two goals, it was to try and find something but we couldn’t get the momentum.
‘We had a lot of good moments in this tournament, a lot of good games. We’re close, we just need to find that missing piece in the final stage of the tournament. These tournaments take it out of you, so much effort and pressure and mentality. We’re missing that final piece.’
Dan Burn added: ‘Absolutely gutted. I thought we had the gameplan pretty well for the majority of it. But obviously, when we scored, we went a bit passive and dropped off and were ultimately punished for it.
‘We probably conceded too many chances and if you do that, they are going to get goals. Disappointing from us. We have defended games better and seen them out. When you get that close to the World Cup final, that hurts.’
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