Bellingham's slap on Barco fuels controversy after World Cup semi

A striking image emerged after the World Cup semi‑final between England and Argentina at the Mercedes‑Benz Stadium in Atlanta, showing Jude Bellingham delivering a slap to Valentin Barco as the Argentine appeared to provoke the English players after the equaliser. The footage captured the sudden act, highlighting the tension that followed the match’s decisive moments. The final whistle had barely sounded when Bellingham stared ahead, stunned by England’s elimination in a thriller against Argentina. In extra time, Lautaro Martinez headed the Argentinians to their second consecutive World Cup final. Soon after, several Argentine teammates embraced each other, and Barco joined the celebration with his countrymen. At that instant Bellingham stepped forward, targeting the Strasbourg left‑back and giving him a tap on the back of the head. Both players were quickly pulled apart by their teammates, and a brief exchange of words followed, but the incident escaped the attention of the match officials.

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FIFA may yet intervene, with the possibility of a suspension that could keep Bellingham out of the third‑place match on Saturday. The governing body has not responded to the incident so far. New footage shows Barco, after Enzo Fernandez’s goal, walking toward the English players, celebrating provocatively, receiving a push, and then walking away. The clip raises the question of whether that provocation sparked the earlier slap.

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