England and Jordan Pickford crashed out of the World Cup after a 2-1 semi-final defeat to Argentina, and Jude Bellingham appeared to aim frustrations at the goalkeeper after Argentina's leveller. However, the Everton shot-stopper has consistently praised his international teammate.
Bellingham's Frustration After Equaliser
England's dreams of reaching only a second-ever World Cup final were shattered on Wednesday evening in Atlanta. Anthony Gordon had put Thomas Tuchel's men ahead after 55 minutes, but Chelsea's Enzo Fernandez levelled with five minutes of regular time remaining, and Lautaro Martinez headed home in stoppage time. When Fernandez's long-distance strike from a short corner went in, cameras captured Bellingham angrily exclaiming, "It's the middle of the goal," seemingly blaming Pickford for not saving the curling effort.
Pickford's Consistent Praise
Despite the apparent dig, Pickford has never missed an opportunity to talk up Bellingham. After England's quarter-final win over Norway, where Bellingham almost single-handedly dragged the team through, Pickford hailed his influence: "He's brilliant. His mentality is what puts him on that level. To come up at times in every game, to make blocks that are just as good as a goal. He's been top level and may it continue."
During Euro 2024, where England reached the final but lost to Spain, Pickford dubbed Bellingham the 'golden boy'. After Bellingham's last-gasp bicycle kick against Slovakia in the round of 16, Pickford said: "You've got two superstars, Jude and Harry, and they've come up with the goods. Jude, golden boy, again with the overhead kick to keep us in the game, keep us in the tournament."
Mutual Respect Despite Misery
There is undoubtedly mutual respect between the two, but the semi-final defeat brought frustration to the fore. After the final whistle, Bellingham appeared to slap Argentina substitute Valentin Barco. Speaking after the game, he was near inconsolable: "I wish I could give one more win or two more wins, but at the moment, my head is a bit fuzzy with disappointment, so I'm sorry."
