Jude Bellingham slaps incoming Chelsea star after Argentina win World Cup semi-final
England midfielder Jude Bellingham was involved in a post-match altercation with Argentina's Valentin Barco following a World Cup semi-final loss. The incident occurred after Argentina celebrated their victory, leading to criticism of England manager Thomas Tuchel's tactical decisions.
Why it matters
High-profile sports incidents involving international stars often influence public discourse on player conduct and team management.
England star Jude Bellingham. England star Jude Bellingham has been caught giving Argentina player Valentin Barco a slap after his side’s World Cup semi-final loss.
Bellingham carried England during most of this summer’s World Cup, but he was pretty ineffective in the semi-final loss to Argentina on Wednesday night.
Argentina’s players were clearly tasked with trying to rattle Bellingham during the semi-final, because the world-class midfielder was kicked and shoved on numerous occasions during a tetchy opening half.
Thankfully for England, Bellingham kept his head and avoided getting sent off, but they still ultimately lost the semi-final.
Anthony Gordon converted a sublime cross by Morgan Rogers to give England the lead after 55 minutes, but Thomas Tuchel’s side were poor after going ahead and lost their lead in stoppage time.
READ: England player ratings vs Argentina as Jude Bellingham, Declan Rice flop but Djed Spence sparkles
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