Julián Alvarez was considered in a swap deal for Luis Díaz with Manchester City (Credits: Imago Images)
England’s World Cup campaign has ended in heartbreak after a 2-1 semi-final defeat to Argentina in Atlanta, with the post-match scenes turning ugly almost immediately.
Jude Bellingham appeared to strike Argentina defender Valentin Barco following the full-time whistle, with the Real Madrid midfielder needing to be physically restrained from the altercation.
Barco had spent the entire match on the bench before joining his teammates in celebration, when Bellingham appeared to make contact with the full-back’s head.
Morgan Rogers was also dragged away from the confrontation, as multiple flashpoints erupted across the pitch in a fiery and ill-tempered conclusion to the match.
There is no indication as to what prompted Bellingham’s reaction, though the scenes drew widespread attention from those watching the semi-final unfold.
England had actually taken the lead through Anthony Gordon, the new Barcelona signing breaking the deadlock in the second half to give Thomas Tuchel’s side real hope.
However, England gradually retreated deeper and deeper, inviting relentless Argentine pressure that ultimately proved too much to withstand in the closing stages.
Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez both got on the scoresheet to complete Argentina’s comeback and book their place in the final against Spain on Sunday.
BBC Sport co-commentator and former England captain Alan Shearer reflected honestly on the result, saying: “I think the best team won. You can’t complain about that, you’ve got to be open and honest about it, their reaction was magnificent.”
Shearer added: “They hit the post a couple of times, England got lucky. But how they didn’t panic, stuck to their gameplan, believed in what they were doing, and they did it.”
The former striker completed his assessment by saying: “They deserve to be in the final on Sunday, as much as it hurts me to say.”
Wayne Rooney was equally direct in his criticism, saying: “When you’re in a fight, you have to stay on top. We go one-nil up, sit back, make changes and go six at the back, if you allow Messi to come on to you and Argentina, you’re asking for trouble.”
Tuchel, the former Chelsea and Bayern Munich manager, may face serious scrutiny over his decision to sit back with 15 minutes remaining on the clock.
Argentina had already navigated difficult ties against Cape Verde, Egypt, and Switzerland on their route to the semi-finals, requiring extra-time to overcome both African opponents.
England will now face France in the third-place play-off, mirroring their 2018 World Cup experience when they also finished fourth after a semi-final defeat to Croatia.
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