Jude Bellingham appeared to strike Argentina defender Valentin Barco after England's World Cup semi-final defeat to Argentina, sparking a flashpoint in ugly post-match scenes in Atlanta. The Real Madrid midfielder had to be pulled away from the confrontation as tempers boiled over after the full-time whistle.
Match Recap
The Three Lions surrendered a one-goal advantage to the reigning champions after Anthony Gordon opened the scoring in the second half. The new Barcelona signing broke the deadlock, but England slowly slipped back, and Argentina's pressure eventually told thanks to goals from Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez.
As Argentina rejoiced in the centre of the pitch, Bellingham seemed to hit Barco, an unused substitute in the semi-final, who was celebrating with his delighted teammates. The contact appeared to be to the full-back's head, though there is no suggestion of what provoked the midfielder's reaction. Playmaker Morgan Rogers also had to be pulled away from the scuffle.
Reaction from Pundits
BBC Sport co-commentator and former England captain Alan Shearer said: "I think the best team won. You can't complain about that, you've got to be open and honest about it, their reaction was magnificent. They hit the post a couple of times, England got lucky. But how they didn't panic, stuck to their gameplan, believed in what they were doing, and they did it. The substitutions worked, you have to admire, respect the way they came back into the game. They deserve to be in the final on Sunday, as much as it hurts me to say."
Wayne Rooney also criticised England's approach, saying: "When you're in a fight, you have to stay on top. We go one-nil up, sit back, make changes and go six at the back, if you allow Messi to come on to you and Argentina, you're asking for trouble."
Argentina's Path to the Final
There were tears from the Argentinians after staging yet another dramatic escape, having navigated tricky encounters with Cape Verde, Egypt and Switzerland on their way to the final. Lionel Scaloni's side required extra time to overcome both African nations and capitalised on a numerical advantage to dispatch the Swiss. They will now face Spain in Sunday's final.
England attempted to protect their narrow lead with Thomas Tuchel making substitutions and choosing to stifle the defending champions. Argentina responded with a succession of attacking replacements, and a rapid-fire double completely transformed the semi-final. The former Chelsea and Bayern Munich boss could face scrutiny for his decision to adopt a defensive approach with just 15 minutes remaining.
What's Next for England
The Three Lions will contest third place, as they did at the 2018 World Cup following their semi-final defeat to Croatia, where they will face France.
