Why Jude Bellingham lightly tapped Valentin Barco — new clips not seen on TV come to light
New video has come out showing why Jude Bellingham slapped an Argentina player after England lost in the semi-final in Atlanta.
England was leading 1-0 with a goal from Anthony Gordon, but the world champions fought back with late goals from Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez. Manager Thomas Tuchel’s choice to switch to a back five didn’t work well, as Argentina kept the pressure on. Martinez’s header, assisted by Lionel Messi, sent Argentina to their second straight final, where they’ll face Spain in New Jersey.
After the final whistle, England players were very upset, and Bellingham got involved in a tense moment. Both teams’ players clashed and had to be separated. It started when Bellingham touched Argentina’s young player Valentin Barco.
TV cameras showed Bellingham slapping Barco on the back of the head, which made the Argentina players angry. But new videos from the stands suggest that Bellingham was reacting to being provoked.
A clip shared by @diarioas on X got 35 million views and showed what really happened. Bellingham stood nearby after Argentina’s goal and was shaking hands with one of their backup goalkeepers. However, Barco said something that upset Bellingham, who speaks Spanish fluently. That’s when Bellingham lightly hit Barco on the head.
Barco shoved Bellingham back, and then Nicolas Otamendi rushed in as James Trafford and Dean Henderson tried to keep the peace. Ollie Watkins pulled Bellingham away, but Morgan Rogers also got involved in the heated moment.
Bellingham, who scored six goals in the tournament, was targeted by the Argentina team early on. Leandro Paredes pushed him hard just minutes into the game but didn’t get a yellow card. Paredes also celebrated a strong tackle on Bellingham, trying to get under his skin during a tense first half.
Another clip online showed Spurs defender Cristian Romero celebrating close to Bellingham, who used to play for Borussia Dortmund.
The referees didn’t seem to notice Bellingham’s slap during the game, so he might face punishment later. This could be a fine or a suspension, which might see him miss England’s third place match against France in Miami on Saturday.
Barco didn’t play against England, but he still caused trouble. He ran onto the pitch to taunt English players after Fernandez scored. John Stones looked annoyed and even pushed Barco. Former England goalie Paul Robinson criticized Barco’s behavior, saying on BBC Radio 5 Live, “We haven’t seen much sportsmanship today, and that was probably the worst example at this World Cup.”
Barco made his Argentina debut in 2024 against El Salvador and has played five times for his country, including 19 minutes in the World Cup group stage vs. England.