Bellingham sparks controversy with a slap on Barkou

England star Jude Bellingham was seen striking Argentina’s Valentin Barco on the back of the head after England’s exit from the World Cup, on Wednesday evening.

Following the match, Bellingham was standing alone near a group of Argentine players who were celebrating their victory, before he suddenly moved toward Barco and struck him on the back of the head. The incident was captured in a video that circulated on social media.

It was unclear whether Barco said something to Bellingham that provoked his reaction, but the incident led to a confrontation between the players before several of their teammates intervened. Bellingham did not address the incident when speaking to journalists, expressing only his frustration at the defeat.

He said, “It’s frustrating. I wanted to be part of the England team that finally succeeds, that finally crosses the finish line. Standing here and saying to the fans the same things you might have heard for many years is very painful. I’m sorry.”

England were on course to advance after Anthony Gordon scored the opening goal in the 55th minute, but the team’s retreat into defense gave Argentina the upper hand. Enzo Fernandez equalized in the 85th minute, before Lautaro Martinez scored the winning goal with a header from a Lionel Messi cross in stoppage time.