Bellingham Slaps Barco, Faces Possible FIFA Suspension
Get the Sports newsletter
Daily sports — scores, transfers, the storylines from the leagues you actually follow. Free.
- Jude Bellingham slapped Argentina substitute Valentin Barco on the back of the head following England's 2-1 World Cup semi-final defeat, sparking a small melee as players from both sides got involved before the England midfielder walked away.
- Valentin Barco, who did not play in the match, had run onto the pitch after Enzo Fernandez's 85th-minute equalizer and celebrated in front of England players; former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson, commentating for BBC Radio 5 Live, called it "probably the worst example of sportsmanship we've seen at this World Cup."
- Bellingham could face FIFA disciplinary action for violent conduct, with a guilty verdict suspending the 23-year-old for Saturday's bronze medal match against France in Miami (kick-off 22:00 BST), though FIFA is more likely to view the act as petulant rather than violent since the laws of the game state there is no red-card offense when a player strikes an opponent on the head with negligible force.
- Lautaro Martinez headed Argentina's winner in the second minute of stoppage time, overturning an early second-half lead given to England by Anthony Gordon.
- The first half produced 19 fouls as American referee Ismail Elfath struggled for control, and Bellingham also clashed with Argentina captain Lionel Messi in the fourth minute over a foul on Elliot Anderson — an exchange Bellingham said was just "discussing a foul."
- Barco, 21, plays for French side Strasbourg, previously had a spell at Brighton, and is expected to join Chelsea; he has featured once at the tournament, as a second-half substitute in a 3-1 group win against Jordan.
Why it matters: Bellingham's availability for Saturday's bronze medal match against France in Miami now hinges on FIFA's disciplinary committee, though the game's own laws — which treat a head strike with negligible force as a non-red-card offense — suggest a suspension is unlikely and the slap is more likely to be classified as petulant than violent.
