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Watch: England's Jude Bellingham slaps Argentina's Barco; video goes viral
Netizens, however, were quick to point out that Barco had allegedly passed thorny comments throughout the game, egging players on
- PUBLISHED: Thu 16 Jul 2026, 2:22 PM
English midfielder Jude Bellingham found himself at the centre of a controversy on Wednesday, July 15, shortly after the referee blew the final whistle.
In a video that has gone viral on the internet, Bellingham can be seen shaking hands with another Argentine player on the field as he stands and reflects on the result.
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The Argentinian players then begin celebrating their victory together. Argentina's Valentin Barco also joined his teammates. Bellingham who could be seen standing in place for a few seconds, suddenly looked miffed, and walked over to the group.
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The England midfielder then hit Barco on the head. The Argentinian, in return, pushed him back. Other players quickly intervened and defused the situation before it could escalate further.
The England midfielder, who has scored 6 goals in this World Cup, struggled to create the same impact against Argentina in the semifinal clash.
Netizens, however, were quick to point out that Barco had allegedly passed thorny comments throughout the match.
Watch the video below:
ð± ¡EL ENGANCHÃN DE BELLINGHAM CON LOS JUGADORES DE ARGENTINA TRAS EL FINAL!#NuestroMejorMundial #NuestroMejorMundialAS @jfelixdiaz @as_tv pic.twitter.com/9Y8rlgG2TL
— Diario AS (@diarioas) July 15, 2026
This wasn't the only controversy that Bellingham found himself in that night. Earlier in the evening, the England player was also seen in a heated exchange with Argentinian captain Messi.
Speaking after the final whistle, he said that they were "discussing a foul, actually".
"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. I thought there was a foul earlier 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?
"It's a privilege to play against Messi. There was nothing against him. I'm obviously on the losing side, which hurts a lot, but it's a privilege to go against him," he concluded.
