Why Jude Bellingham slapped Valentin Barco as footage not shown on TV emerges

New footage has emerged showing why Jude Bellingham slapped an Argentina player after England's semi-final loss it Atlanta.

1-0 up through a strike from Anthony Gordon, England suffered more tournament heartbreak as the world champions turned it around with late goals from Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez.

Thomas Tuchel's decision to retreat to a back five backfired massively as the team invited pressure onto them and Argentina went in for the kill, with Martinez's back-post header from a second Lionel Messi assist sending La Albiceleste into a second consecutive final and setting up a showdown with Spain in New Jersey.

There was immense disappointment and frustration from England after the final whistle and Bellingham was involved in an ugly post-match scene.

Both sets of players got into it and had to be separated, the incident appearing to stem from Bellingham put his hands on Argentina youngster Valentin Barco.

The TV cameras picked up Bellingham slapping Barco on the head from behind, before Argentina players erupted.

However, fresh footage from the stands indicates that Bellingham's actions were a result of being provoked.

A video from @diarioas on X racked up 35 million views and told the full story. Bellingham was stood yards away from Argentina celebrations and shook hands with one of the reserve goalkeepers.

But the Real Madrid star was clearly furious with something which was said by Barco in earshot. Bellingham, who is fluent in Spanish, immediately reacted by giving Barco a whack on the back of his head.

The former Brighton player reacted by shoving Bellingham. As the footage shows, Nicolas Otamendi steamed in before James Trafford and Dean Henderson acted as peacekeepers.

Ollie Watkins took Bellingham away but then Morgan Rogers was involved in the heated scuffle.

😱 ¡EL ENGANCHÓN DE BELLINGHAM CON LOS JUGADORES DE ARGENTINA TRAS EL FINAL!#NuestroMejorMundial #NuestroMejorMundialAS @jfelixdiaz @as_tv pic.twitter.com/9Y8rlgG2TL

— Diario AS (@diarioas) July 15, 2026

Bellingham, who scored six goals in the tournament, was targeted by Argentina early into the contest, with Leandro Paredes barging him over just minutes into the contest at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium and avoiding a yellow card.

The former Paris Saint Germain midfielder tried to rile up Bellingham by celebrating a tackle on him in a first-half where there were a whole host of flare-ups.

Another clip which did the rounds on social media showed Spurs defender Cristian Romero celebrating right in front of the ex Borussia Dortmund.

Bellingham's actions did not appear to be spotted by any of the match officials, meaning he could be punished retrospectively.

A fine and a suspension are among the potential punishments if disciplinary action is taken. There is a possibility that Bellingham could banned for the third place play-off with fellow losing semi-finalists France in Miami on Saturday.

What Valentin Barco did to rile up England in Argentina loss

Barco was an unused substitute against England but he ended up having quite the role in tempers flaring. The Strasbourg player sprinted on the pitch and goaded the England players when Fernandez slotted past Jordan Pickford.

😱 ¡EL ENGANCHÓN DE BELLINGHAM CON LOS JUGADORES DE ARGENTINA TRAS EL FINAL!#NuestroMejorMundial #NuestroMejorMundialAS @jfelixdiaz @as_tv pic.twitter.com/9Y8rlgG2TL

— Diario AS (@diarioas) July 15, 2026

An irritated John Stones appeared to push Barco. Former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson slammed the antics from Barco on BBC Radio 5 Live, commenting: "We’ve not seen much sportsmanship today and that was probably the worst example of sportsmanship we’ve seen at this World Cup."

Barco made his Argentina debut in 2024 against El Salvador and has played five times for his country - including playing 19 minutes against Jordan in the World Cup group stage.