Jude Bellingham could be suspended for Saturday’s bronze medal match at the World Cup after he slapped Argentina substitute Valentin Barco on the back of the head.

England lost the semi-final 2-1 to Argentina on Wednesday night with the defending champions fighting back thanks to goals in the 85th and 92nd minute.

Defeat extended England’s heartache in the competition, and has also prompted calls for Thomas Tuchel to be sacked after his tactical tweaks backfired.

Bellingham, meanwhile, was England’s standout player of the tournament – scoring six times – and after he was unable to guide the Three Lions into their first World Cup final since 1966, tensions boiled over on the pitch…

What happened after full-time?

After the full-time whistle blew, cue the agony and the ecstasy at Atlanta Stadium, with distraught English players surrounded by Argentina’s squad celebrating another World Cup final.

Bellingham, hands on his hips, had just been consoled by one Argentine player when Barco came over to celebrate with five of his teammates.

They were barely a yard away from Bellingham, and the England player then reacted when stepping forward and slapping the back of Barco’s head.

The Argentine pushed Bellingham back before Nicolas Otamendi came in to separate the pair.

Fifa’s disciplinary committee could review the incident, and if deemed violent conduct then Bellingham faces suspension from England’s match against France in Miami on Saturday – a match where Tuchel will probably field his back-ups anyway, given the fixture is viewed, by many, as pointless.

Regarding the slap, a player who strikes an opponent is guilty of violent conduct unless the force used is viewed as “negligible” – meaning Fifa may have to take a view of whether Bellingham’s strike was worthy of a red card.

What provoked the slap?

Barco celebrated in front of O’Reilly and was then pushed by Stones (Photos: Reuters/BBC)

Barco was an unused substitute in the game but it appears the incident that incensed Bellingham and his teammates could have happened in the 85th minute, when Barco ran onto the pitch to celebrate in front of England’s players when Enzo Fernandez equalised.

While the majority of Argentina’s players ran to one corner, following Fernandez, footage captures Barco running from the sidelines jumping and fist-pumping. One jump is right in front of Manchester City left-back Nico O’Reilly, and when seeing this, centre-back John Stones shoves Barco away.

BBC’s coverage did not appear to show Barco in the aftermath of Lauro Martinez’s 92nd-minute winner, the substitute seemingly not celebrating with the main group of players – who once again headed to the same corner.

Watch: Barco’s celebrations in front of England players

What did Bellingham say afterwards?

Bellingham did not address the incident with Barco but did elaborate on an early confrontation with Lionel Messi after a foul on Elliot Anderson.

“We were really just discussing a foul, actually,” Bellingham said. “It wasn’t anything bad. I’m sure everyone will do their thing and make it a big deal, but it was nothing.”

On their World Cup exit, Bellingham added: “We can take a lot from the experience, but it is so gutting. I wanted to be part of an England squad that finally did it and got over the line.

“To be here telling the fans unfortunately the same things they’ve heard for years and years, it’s really gutting. I wish I could say more. I wish I could give more. At the moment the head’s a bit fuzzy with disappointment.”

What else happened after full-time?

¡Las Malvinas son Argentinas! 🇦🇷 Prohibieron llevarlas a la cancha y se olvidaron que las llevamos en la sangre y el corazón. pic.twitter.com/qB455HeqVX

— Victoria Villarruel (@VickyVillarruel) July 15, 2026

Argentina’s players also displayed a banner reading “The Falklands are Argentine”.

Argentina vice-president Victoria Villarruel said on X after the match that “it wasn’t just another match” when posting a video of Argentine soldiers.

In another post, she wrote: “The Falklands are Argentine! They banned bringing them to the stadium and forgot that we carry them in our blood and our hearts.”

Business Secretary Peter Kyle told BBC Breakfast: “Politics needs to be separate from football. We expect Fifa to undertake an investigation into this. I think it was certain to happen because it was such an egregious violation of the rules of not having political activity as part of the football.”