Jude Bellingham was seen wiping his eyes as he was consoled by his dad, Mark, following England's devastating 2-1 defeat to Argentina in the World Cup semi-final. The 23-year-old Real Madrid midfielder could not hide his emotions as his father hugged him. His teammate and close friend Morgan Rogers, who calls him 'my little big bro', also offered his support in the stands. Jude's mother, Denise, and girlfriend Ashlyn Castro, 28, comforted the star in Atlanta as the Three Lions came agonisingly close to glory.
Confrontation with Valentin Barco
Bellingham was also involved in an angry confrontation with Argentina substitute Valentin Barco at full time. It was sparked after Barco celebrated in front of the England team instead of joining his teammates by the corner flag. TV coverage showed Jude slapping Barco on the back of the head, sparking a melee between the two teams. Former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson, commentating for BBC Radio 5 Live, described Barco's actions as 'probably the worst example of sportsmanship we’ve seen at this World Cup'.
Fan reaction and criticism of Thomas Tuchel
England legend Paul Gascoigne paid tribute to the players but questioned manager Thomas Tuchel's tactics. Gazza, 59, told the Mirror: 'I don’t know why after they fought so hard, they tried to hold on for a 1-0 win. I cannot understand it. Defending like that is asking for trouble.' England became the first team to twice take the lead in World Cup semi-finals – against Croatia in 2018 and on Wednesday – and end up losing. Fans praised the team's performances but expressed frustration. Andy Milne, 63, of Northwich, Cheshire, said: 'I have been to nine World Cups and this is the first time I am coming home angry. I was so frustrated with the man management and changes we made.' Garford Beck, 64, of London, spent £10,000 travelling to every England game and said: 'With five minutes plus on the clock, I really dared to believe that we were going to the final. Instead I am going to Miami for the bronze match. We really did make some questionable tactical decisions.'
Record-breaking TV audience
The BBC reported a peak audience of 24 million tuned in to watch England’s 2-1 defeat, making it the most watched live TV event in the last five years – attracting more viewers than the Euro 2020 final when Italy beat England on penalties. The BBC got an 85% share of all TV viewing for Wednesday’s match and its 3D experience – allowing audiences to view matches in real time from every angle – was used 192,000 times.
Third-place play-off
England now face France in Miami on Saturday in the third place play-off but only 180 tickets have been sold to official fans’ club members, the Football Supporters Association – which described it as 'probably the most pointless game of football anyone could imagine'. Its spokesperson paid tribute to fans who followed the team across the US and Mexico, telling them: 'This has been some journey, the sacrifices you have made have been incredible.'
