Jude Bellingham was involved in an altercation with Argentina defender Valentin Barco after England's 2-1 World Cup semi-final defeat. The Real Madrid midfielder appeared to strike Barco following the full-time whistle, igniting ugly scenes in Atlanta.
England's Lead Slips Away
England took the lead through Anthony Gordon's second-half goal, but they gradually retreated, inviting Argentine pressure. Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez scored two quickfire goals to complete the comeback and book Argentina's place in the final against Spain.
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." He added: "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."
Post-Match Confrontation
As Argentina celebrated on the pitch, Bellingham appeared to strike Barco, who had remained on the bench throughout the match. Morgan Rogers also had to be dragged away from the confrontation. There is no indication as to what prompted Bellingham's reaction.
England's Thomas Tuchel introduced substitutes and opted to contain the reigning champions, but Argentina's attacking changes paid off. Wayne Rooney criticized 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 Comeback
Argentina had already needed extra-time to beat Cape Verde and Egypt, and exploited a man advantage to overcome Switzerland. Lionel Scaloni's squad produced another stunning comeback, leaving them in tears after the semi-final triumph.
England will now battle for third place against France, just as they did at the 2018 World Cup after losing to Croatia.
