World Cup 2026: English star Jude Bellingham slaps Argentine substitute Barco

Jude Bellingham then slapped Argentine substitute Valentin Barco on the back of the head England lost 2-1 in the World Cup semi-final.

Barco, who did not play in the match, was on the pitch throughout and was hugging his teammates near Bellingham when the England midfielder approached him and slapped him.

It sparked a small scuffle as players from both sides became involved before Bellingham walked away.

It is not known what sparked the reaction, but the footage showed Barco running on the field after the equalizer scored by Enzo Fernandez in the 85th minute and celebrating in front of the England players.

Lautaro Martinez scored the winning goal for Argentina in the second minute of stoppage time, ending the hopes of the England team, which took an early lead in the second half through Anthony Gordon’s goal.

Barco, 21, who plays for French club Strasbourg and previously spent a spell at Brighton, made one appearance in the tournament as a second-half substitute in the 3-1 win over Jordan.

The first half of Wednesday’s match in Atlanta was filled with 19 fouls, as American referee Ismail Al-Fath struggled to control the ball.

Bellingham, who scored six goals in the tournament, also entered into a confrontation with Argentina captain Lionel Messi in the fourth minute after English midfielder Elliot Anderson was fouled.

“We were actually just discussing a mistake,” Bellingham reportedly said. After the match.

“It wasn’t bad. I’m sure everyone would do what they wanted and make a big deal out of it, but it was nothing.”