Bellingham slapped Argentina substitute after England exit

To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. This video can not be played Figure caption, Things get heated between Bellingham and Argentina players Published 9 minutes ago Jude Bellingham slapped Argentina substitute Valentin Barco on the back of the head following England's 2-1 World Cup semi-final defeat. Barco, who did not play in the game, came on to the pitch at full-time and was hugging team-mates near Bellingham when the England midfielder walked over and slapped him. It sparked a small melee as players from both sides got involved before Bellingham walked away. It is not known what prompted the reaction, but footage showed Barco running on the pitch after Enzo Fernandez's 85th-minute equaliser and celebrating in front of the England players. Lautaro Martinez headed the winner for Argentina in the second minute of stoppage time, ending the hopes of an England side who had taken an early second-half lead through Anthony Gordon's goal. Barco, 21, who plays for French side Strasbourg and previously had a spell at Brighton, has featured once at the tournament as a second-half substitute in a 3-1 group win against Jordan. The first half of Wednesday's match in Atlanta was feisty with 19 fouls, as American referee Ismail Elfath struggled to keep control. Bellingham, who has scored six goals in the tournament, also had a confrontation with Argentina captain Lionel Messi in the fourth minute after England midfielder Elliot Anderson had been fouled. "We were really just discussing a foul, actually," Bellingham is reported to have said. after the match. "It wasn't anything bad. I'm sure everyone will do their thing and make it a big deal, but it was nothing." To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. This video can not be played Figure caption, Bellingham 'fuzzy with disappointment' after World Cup exit Related topics Football England Men's Football Team FIFA World Cup 2026 More on this story When the World Cup finishes, the football continues on BBC Sport Published 5 days ago World Cup 2026 knockout path How to watch the World Cup on the BBC and ITV Published 11 hours ago