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Watch: Jude Bellingham appears to blame England teammate for Argentina goal

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By:Mark Brus

Jude Bellingham seemed to blame England teammate Jordan Pickford for the Enzo Fernandez goal for Argentina in the World Cup semi-final.

Chelsea midfielder Fernandez fired in a superb long-range strike for Argentina to make it 1-1, but it seems Bellingham feels the shot was actually quite central.

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Watch below as some fans seem to have been able to lip-read Bellingham’s reaction to the goal, with the Real Madrid ace complaining that it was in the middle of the goal…

Bellingham moaning about Pickford’s little arms. ‘It’s the middle of the goal’ ?? pic.twitter.com/eMqWz2FKg7

— Paul (@pclfc8) July 15, 2026

Make your own minds up, but that perhaps seems a bit harsh on England goalkeeper Pickford, who mostly had a really good game and another strong tournament overall.

Bellingham has been superb for England at this World Cup, but it’s moments like this that perhaps rub some fans up the wrong way, as he can be a little petulant when things aren’t going for him.

Who’s to blame for England’s World Cup exit?

England will likely need to do some soul-searching after this World Cup semi-final loss, as they were a goal up with just a few minutes left, but perhaps handed momentum back to Argentina by being overly defensive and cautious.

Perhaps Pickford could have done better too, but overall it seemed more like the wrong tactical approach from Three Lions boss Thomas Tuchel.

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Still, this was a good tournament for England and there’ll perhaps be some optimism about what they can build for the future, even if it feels painful now to have missed out on a place in the final.

England still haven’t won the World Cup since all the way back in 1966, and to many this felt like the best opportunity to finally do it again.

Argentina are a fantastic team, however, and are now looking to retain the trophy in what should be a mouth-watering encounter against Spain this Sunday.

The post Watch: Jude Bellingham appears to blame England teammate for Argentina goal appeared first on CaughtOffside.

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Argentina 2-1 England player ratings: Messi gets 9/10 with 2 assists while Chelsea & Spurs stars shine

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By:Mark Brus

Argentina have beaten England and made it to the World Cup final, with Lionel Messi and co. now preparing to take on Spain.

Anthony Gordon gave England the lead in Wednesday night’s semi-final, but Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez scored twice late on to send the Three Lions out of the World Cup.

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For England, the 60 years of hurt goes on, and they’ll have to look back at what ended up being a pretty negative performance against Argentina.

Thomas Tuchel went far too defensive after England went ahead, so it’s not exactly the players’ fault, but here’s our look at how the players from both sides rated…

Argentina 2-1 England World Cup semi-final player ratings

Jordan Pickford – 6

Reece James – 7

Djed Spence – 7

Marc Guehi – 6

John Stones – 6

Declan Rice – 7.5

Elliot Anderson – 6

Jude Bellingham – 6.5

Morgan Rogers – 7

Anthony Gordon – 7.5

Harry Kane – 6

Not too many stand-out performers there from England, but Rogers and Gordon combined well for the goal, while Rice also played his part and generally worked hard in a difficult midfield battle. James and Spence were also in good form at both ends of the pitch, with the latter particularly impressive with one last-ditch challenge in the second half.

Emiliano Martinez – 6

Nahuel Molina – 6

Nicolas Tagliafico – 6

Cristian Romero – 8

Lisandro Martinez – 7

Leandro Paredes – 7

Alexis Mac Allister – 6.5

Enzo Fernandez – 8

Giulio Simeone – 6

Julian Alvarez – 7

Lionel Messi – 9

Argentina were not exactly spectacular, but Messi and Fernandez produced when it mattered and that will give them confidence against Spain in the final. A word too to Romero, who hasn’t always been at his best in a Tottenham shirt, but who looked like a real leader at the back tonight in an important game, keeping Kane quiet throughout.

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Who do you think will win this weekend’s final now? Give us your predictions in the comments!

The post Argentina 2-1 England player ratings: Messi gets 9/10 with 2 assists while Chelsea & Spurs stars shine appeared first on CaughtOffside.

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Video: Enzo Fernandez & Lautaro Martinez score quickfire double to break England hearts

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By:Mark Brus

Enzo Fernandez scored a stunning goal to level things up for Argentina against England in tonight’s World Cup semi-final clash.

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The Chelsea midfielder scored an absolutely sublime long-range effort after a short corner by Argentina, with Lionel Messi setting him up to hit it from outside the box.

Watch below as Fernandez finally beat Jordan Pickford, who had been superb for England to keep out Alexis Mac Allister on numerous occasions…

"Enzo Fernandez has simply been setting his sights!" ?

A rocket of a strike from the midfielder draws Argentina level. pic.twitter.com/f5kUPkaP0a

— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) July 15, 2026

We all know Fernandez has that in his locker, with the 25-year-old often scoring some real beauties for Chelsea.

Now he’s delivered on the big stage for his country as they look to be heading for a second consecutive World Cup final appearance.

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Argentina produce stunning comeback against England

Lautaro Martinez has just scored a second for the South American giants, who now lead 2-1 with just a few minutes of stoppage time remaining.

Watch below as Messi was again the creator with a lovely cross to set up Martinez for the header…

Argentina are ahead! ?

A relentless spell of pressure sees Alexis Mac Allister hit the post before ANOTHER Lionel Messi assist sets up Lautaro Martinez to make it 2-1. pic.twitter.com/kVoNouFgKZ

— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) July 15, 2026

Having won the World Cup in 2022, it looks like Argentina are heading back to the final as they look to retain their trophy, with Spain waiting for them this time.

For England, unless something dramatic happens in the next few moments, it’s more heartache at a World Cup, with 60 years of hurt set to continue for even longer.

The post Video: Enzo Fernandez & Lautaro Martinez score quickfire double to break England hearts appeared first on CaughtOffside.

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“Dirty team” – Outrage as ref accused of missing 5-6 Argentina yellow cards vs England

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By:Mark Brus

The referee in tonight’s World Cup semi-final between England and Argentina has come in for strong criticism for a lack of yellow cards.

More specifically, a number of high-profile media figures cheering on England are not happy at what they perceive as favourable treatment towards Argentina in this game.

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They may have a point, but these discussions often feel a little tedious in what has generally just been quite a close game without much else to talk about so far.

See below as former footballer Stan Collymore claims Argentina could easily have had two players sent off as both Enzo Fernandez and Giuliano Simeone have made the equivalent of three yellow card offences…

Simeone. 3 yellow challenges.
Fernandez. 3 yellow challenges.

— Stan Collymore (@StanCollymore) July 15, 2026

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Meanwhile, Piers Morgan has also slammed the referee for missing about five yellow cards for Argentina so far…

What the f*ck is this referee doing? Argentina should have 5 bookings by now. Dirty team going woefully unpunished.

— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) July 15, 2026

Argentina have certainly been quite aggressive, and that’s always frustrating when you’re on the receiving end of it.

Still, it seems a tad over-the-top to be suggesting there’s any serious favouritism going on.

England looking to make first World Cup final since 1966

England have done well at this World Cup, and they’re taking the fight to current holders Argentina so far.

They can do better, though, and will likely have to in the second half if they are to have a serious chance of making it to the World Cup final for the first time since they won the competition all the way back in 1966.

Argentina, meanwhile, are looking to retain the trophy they won back in Qatar in 2022, and they’ll hope for more Lionel Messi magic tonight to continue the remarkable form he’s showed at this year’s tournament so far.

The post “Dirty team” – Outrage as ref accused of missing 5-6 Argentina yellow cards vs England appeared first on CaughtOffside.

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“Yes, yes” – Alonso confirms his desire to work with player heavily linked with Chelsea exit

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By:Ahad Shaukat

Chelsea’s preparations for the new season have begun with one major question hanging over their midfield.

After a disappointing campaign and another change in the dugout, Xabi Alonso must decide which senior players will form the foundation of his Stamford Bridge rebuild.

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Enzo Fernández’s future has been the subject of growing speculation, with the Argentina international linked with a possible move away from west London.

However, Alonso’s first public comments on the situation suggest he sees the midfielder as an important part of his plans rather than someone Chelsea should actively look to sell.

Alonso makes his position clear on Fernández

According to Fabrizio Romano, Alonso confirmed that he has already spoken directly with Fernández.

The Chelsea manager refused to reveal the contents of their conversation, explaining that it would remain private, but gave a clear response when asked whether he wanted to keep the player:

“Yes, yes.”

That stance was also reported by Reuters, which noted that Alonso wants Fernández to remain as he attempts to establish a stronger identity and restore stability following Chelsea’s tenth-place finish last season.

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The midfielder is currently away with Argentina at the World Cup, meaning more detailed discussions over his future may have to wait until his international commitments are completed.

Keeping the midfielder makes sense for Chelsea

Transfer rumours have continued despite Alonso’s position.

talkSPORT reports that Fernández has attracted interest from Real Madrid, although Chelsea would be in a powerful negotiating position because of his long-term contract and major valuation.

Alonso is right to push for Fernández to stay. Chelsea already face another summer of squad changes, and losing one of their most experienced midfielders would create an unnecessary problem.

Fernández’s passing range, movement and ability to influence games from deeper areas could suit Alonso’s possession-focused approach. A more structured system may also help Chelsea get greater consistency from him.

Unless an exceptional offer arrives, keeping Fernández should be the straightforward decision.

Alonso needs leaders and technically gifted players around whom he can build, and the Argentine remains one of the strongest candidates to become central to Chelsea’s new project.

Xabi Alonso gets his wish as Chelsea prepare improved offer to sign wide man 

The post “Yes, yes” – Alonso confirms his desire to work with player heavily linked with Chelsea exit appeared first on CaughtOffside.

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