Fresh ref-cam footage has surfaced showing Jude Bellingham lambasting the official's 'shocking decisions' following England's defeat to Argentina.
The Three Lions' World Cup dreams were ended as La Albiceleste came from behind to earn a place in the final. There was no shortage of frustration on display from England as Argentina racked up fouls throughout the game.
Referee scrutiny
Moroccan-USA referee Ismail Elfath came in for considerable scrutiny before kick-off after being labelled Lionel Messi's favourite official.
Argentina racked up 12 fouls in the opening half against England but received just one yellow card. Bellingham was dragged down on four separate occasions as he attempted to launch counterattacks.
The Stourbridge-born midfielder's frustration with Argentina's aggressive tactics was plain to see as they sought to halt him by any means necessary. Bellingham told the referee exactly what he thought after the full-time whistle.
Bellingham's reaction
The Real Madrid star was visibly furious at how the match was handled. In the ref-cam footage, Bellingham can be seen shaking Elfath's hand before remarking, "Some shocking ones but all the best."
During the game, Bellingham was also spotted in animated conversation with Argentina captain Messi. However, he played down their interaction following the match, "The chat with Messi? Actually, we were arguing about a foul. It wasn't anything serious. I'm sure everyone will make a big deal out of it, but it was nothing," Bellingham said. "I thought there was a foul earlier, and he said, ‘What about the one I was fouled on?’ And I said, ‘You're tough enough to take it,’ you know what I mean."
Bellingham's record
Bellingham did manage to net his seventh goal of the tournament in superb style, grabbing England's sixth in a thrilling 6-4 victory over France in the third-place play-off. In doing so, he etched his name in the history books as the first Englishman ever to score seven goals at a single World Cup.
Argentina, meanwhile, suffered a 1-0 defeat to Spain in the World Cup final. Ugly scenes erupted after the final whistle, as several Argentine players sparked a brawl, throwing punches and clashing violently with their Spanish opponents.
