England midfielder Jude Bellingham has slapped Argentina substitute Valentin Barco after his side’s 2-1 defeat in the FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-final.
The incident occurred after the match when Barco, who did not feature in the game, came onto the field to celebrate Argentina’s victory. Bellingham, who was standing near the Argentina players, walked over to Barco and slapped him on the back of the head.
Following the incident, tempers flared as players from both sides got involved in heated altercations. Eventually, Bellingham managed to walk away calmly.
The actual reasons behind Bellingham’s reaction remain unclear. However, in the 85th minute, Barco came on the pitch and celebrated in front of the Three Lions players after Enzo Fernández’s scored equalizer.
Catch all FIFA World Cup 2026 live updates here!
The incident could land Jude Bellingham in hot water as he could face action from FIFA for violent conduct. If penalized, the 23-year-old could miss England’s third-place fixture against France in Miami on Saturday.
View this post on Instagram
As per the laws, a player will not be sent off with a red card for deliberately hitting an opponent on the head if the contact is very light and causes little or no force.
According to the Laws of the Game, a player is not sent off for deliberately striking an opponent on the head if the contact is made with negligible force.
The 21-year-old Barco plays for the French side Strasbourg and previously represented Brighton. The left-back is expected to join Chelsea. He has made one appearance at the tournament, coming on as a second-half substitute in a 3-1 group win against Jordan.
After the match, Bellingham addressed the confrontation with the Argentina captain Lionel Messi,
“We were really just discussing a foul, actually,” Bellingham 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,” he added.
READ: FIFA urged to investigate Argentina over Falklands banner at World Cup
