New vision shows provoking act led to World Cup slap
New footage circulating on social media has given a clearer picture of what led to Jude Bellingham slapping Argentina sub Valentin Barco on the back of the head.
Bellingham could not keep his cool after England’s 2-1 semi-final loss to Argentina as he was spotted clipping the back of his rival’s head post-match, prompting a fiery exchange between the pair.
Bellingham calls out Barco. AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman
Barco was an unused substitute during the match but did his best to get under the skin of England players.
Video from the stands showed Barco sprinting onto the field to celebrate in the faces of the opposition after Enzo Fernández scored the equaliser.
Then, when the South Americans went ahead, Barco veered away from his celebrating teammates to yell in the faces of Bellingham and teammates, provoking England’s players once more.
The tension had been building throughout the match and the repeated provocations boiled over once the final whistle confirmed England’s elimination.
Argentina’s Nicolas Otamendi was seen attempting to separate the pair before Ollie Watkins and England’s reserve goalkeeper James Trafford joined in to remove their teammate from the ugly scene.
Attention then turned to Argentina’s celebrations as the nation held up a political banner that declared “Las Malvinas Son Argentinas” [The Falklands are Argentine].
The Falkland Islands are a British overseas territory that remains in a sovereignty dispute between Britain and Argentina, with the two nations once going to war over the group of islands in 1982.
A total of 649 Argentine and 255 British soliders died during that conflict. Britain ended up victorious and has jurisdiction over the land today.
Argentina players have previously used banners with the same message to make their feelings clear, with many claiming their nation inherited the islands in 1816.
FIFA has previously hit them with a $38,000 fine.
FIFA’s rules state no political messaging is allowed, whether that be a banner, flag, flyer, apparel or any other paraphernalia that athletes or fans obtain.
It is likely the Argentine Football Association will again be hit with a fine - though they are unlikely to be too upset.
Giovani Lo Celso and Nicolas Otamendi hold the banner. AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell
“This isn’t just another match,” wrote Argentina’s Vice President Victoria Villarruel on X before the game.
“I’m not going to be politically correct or cold-hearted; against the English, it’s always something more. It’s the Malvinas, it’s Diego, it’s Leo’s last one, and it’s putting the brakes on the invaders.”
One prominent group of Argentine veterans, seeking to defuse tensions ahead of the match, said that Maradona’s goals “already avenged us,” adding, “We have no sporting scores left to settle with England.”
At a watch party of Falklands War veterans in Quilmes, a city in Buenos Aires province, Juan Carlos Salinas, a 74-year-old veteran, struggled to speak through tears.
“This for us is... something big,” he said.
Argentina unveiled a massive Lionel Messi statue in Patagonia for the World Cup. X
In Cutral Co in the southern province of Neuquen, a crowd of about 300 locals watched the game on a screen set up next to a new 26m statue of Argentina captain Lionel Messi.
They burst into screams as the referee blew his whistle at the end of the match.
“It was a victory of suffering,” said Lucas Romero, a 32-year-old local, standing next to his beaming wife.
He motioned to the statue in front of him: “It’s a good recognition of all that Messi has done.”
In Buenos Aires, which had been mostly empty during the match, fans waved flags and chanted as drivers honked to celebrate the victory.
“This is not just about football, it’s about beating the country that broke our hearts,” Maria Bertero, 40, said, referring to the war.
“My heart still aches for all the young boys who were sent to their deaths.”
Fans celebrate Argentina's first goal. AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd
Mariano Gecik, a 49-year-old university professor, watched the game at the home of friends.
“I’m overcome with emotion. Once again, it’s about resurrection, resilience, and sheer grit; we truly deserve our place in the World Cup final,” Gecik said.
All the way down Avenida 9 de Julio, in the heart of the capital, cries of “For the Malvinas, for Diego, for Leo’s last one (tournament)” pierced the air.
Crowds also bounced up and down to another popular chant dating back decades.
“El que no salta es un ingles,” or, “Whoever doesn’t jump is an Englishman.”
Defending champions Argentina will play Spain in Monday’s (AEST) final.
