Jude Bellingham was caught on camera slapping Argentina defender Valentin Barco after England were defeated 2-1 by Argentina in the World Cup semi-final on Wednesday night.
Thomas Tuchel's side were just minutes away from reaching their first World Cup final since their last tournament win in 1966 after Anthony Gordon opened the scoring in the second half. However, Enzo Fernandez equalised for Argentina with a stunning effort in the 85th minute, before Lautaro Martinez headed home in stoppage time to break English hearts.
Emotions Boil Over at Full-Time
It was a devastating way for England's bid for World Cup glory to come to an end, and emotions spilled over at the full-time whistle. While the Three Lions were left gutted, Argentina celebrated reaching their second successive World Cup final — and Bellingham appeared to take exception to some of the celebrations as he struck Strasbourg defender Barco in the back of the head.
The incident, which was captured by BBC cameras, sparked a melee between the players, with Aston Villa star Morgan Rogers among those seen being dragged away.
What's Next for England and Argentina
England will now face France in the third-place play-off on Saturday before flying back home. Meanwhile, reigning world champions Argentina will bid to defend their title as they take on Spain in the final on Sunday.
BBC co-commentator Alan Shearer said at full-time: "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."
