'Did he lose his mind?' Bellingham's furious slap, striking opponent in the back of the head... England-Argentina squad clash

*This content was translated by AI.

Was it due to the shock of losing a ticket to the World Cup final that was almost within reach? A shocking scene was captured in which Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), a key player for England's national team, struck an opposing player on the back of the head with his hand immediately after the defeat.

British outlet The Sun reported on the 16th (Korean time) that "Bellingham struck an Argentina player with his hand shortly after England's shocking World Cup exit."

England suffered a comeback loss, 1-2, against Argentina in the 2026 FIFA North America World Cup semi-final held at Atlanta Stadium in the United States on this day.

England had aimed to reach their first final since winning the only championship in 1966 at their home World Cup, but they could not hold on for the last 10 minutes. England took a 1-0 lead thanks to Anthony Gordon (Barcelona)'s opening goal in the second half's 10th minute.

However, defensive concentration collapsed near the end of the match. England conceded an equalizer from Enzo Fernandez (Chelsea) in the 40th minute of the second half and then allowed Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan) to score the winning comeback goal during stoppage time. 'God of Football' Lionel Messi (Inter Miami) provided assists for both goals, recording a storming two-assist performance.

England's players fell into deep frustration. Center-back John Stones (Manchester City) covered his face, and Bellingham also shed tears.

Bellingham appeared to be more shocked than anyone could have imagined. While Argentina players gathered around him celebrating their victory, Bellingham suddenly struck Valentin Barco (Strasbourg), an Argentina midfielder, on the back of the head with his hand.

Barco reacted immediately, sparking a rough verbal exchange between the two players. Although surrounding players quickly separated them, footage even captured Bellingham speaking forcefully toward Barco. Players from both teams gathered around the two, further intensifying the tense atmosphere.

During today's match, several tense confrontations occurred between players from both sides. England and Argentina players clashed as early as the 3rd minute of the first half and again in the 37th minute due to rough play.

The Sun explained that "in a fierce match between long-time rivals, tension exploded multiple times" and added that "Real Madrid star Bellingham also appeared unable to control his emotions immediately after the final whistle."

After the match ended, it was not only Bellingham but also England's Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa) and Argentina's Lisandro Martinez (Manchester United), Juan Musso (Atletico Madrid), among others, who displayed their emotions toward each other.

The issue is that Bellingham could face post-match disciplinary action for this incident. According to reports, the match officials did not directly witness Bellingham striking Barco. However, since the scene was captured in broadcast footage, there are now possibilities that FIFA will conduct a post-match review.

The Sun reported that "Bellingham could even face a suspension. In that case, he might miss the third-place play-off against France."

However, there is also a possibility that no actual disciplinary action will be taken. The outlet added that "there are also predictions suggesting FIFA is more likely to let the incident go without any measures" and noted, "Another possibility is a fine penalty, which could potentially be imposed conditionally. FIFA has not yet responded to related inquiries."

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*This content was translated by AI.