Watch: Jude Bellingham clashes with Argentina stars after World Cup exit | OneFootball

Watch: Jude Bellingham clashes with Argentina stars after World Cup exit | OneFootball

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Evening Standard

·16 July 2026

Watch: Jude Bellingham clashes with Argentina stars after World Cup exit

Article image:Watch: Jude Bellingham clashes with Argentina stars after World Cup exit

Real Madrid star appeared to be goaded by young Strasbourg defender Valentin Barco

Jude Bellingham clashed with Argentina stars after England were dumped out of the World Cup in an attritional semi-final.


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Bellingham played the duration and impressed, but could not repeat the heroics which sank Norway last time out to deliver England to this stage of the competition.

There were plenty of flashpoints throughout the match, but tempers flared again as a coming-together between Bellingham and Strasbourg defender Valentin Barco reignited tensions.

Video showed Bellingham standing alone at the full-time whistle when a throng of Argentina players began celebrating in a huddle next to him.

Bellingham then approaches the group and appears to slap Barco on the back of the head, before Exequiel Palacios leaps to the diminutive defender’s aid.

Barco, 21, played no part in the match. His sole contribution to Argentina’s World Cup campaign thus far came in a 20-minute cameo off the bench against Jordan in the group stage.

Plenty more players then got involved in the melee, including Dean Henderson, Ollie Watkins and James Trafford. Lautaro Martinez and Lionel Messi were also on the scene.

The disagreement seemed to take care of itself fairly promptly, though, as Bellingham was led away by Watkins.

It remains to be seen whether Bellingham will face any penalty from FIFA after he appeared to instigate the fracas.

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