Soccer Football - FIFA World Cup 2026 - Semi Final - England v Argentina - Atlanta Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. - July 15, 2026
Argentina's Nicolas Otamendi clashes with England's Jude Bellingham at the end of the match REUTERS/Dylan Martinez
England superstar Jude Bellingham has had a dominant run through the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but that World Cup run ended in heartbreak on Wednesday with the team falling to Argentina in the semifinals. After the match, Bellingham clearly let his frustration get the best of him.
As Argentina celebrated on the field following their 2-1 victory over England on Wednesday, Bellingham was caught on camera striking an Argentina player in apparent frustration.
Bellingham Strikes Argentina Player
In the aftermath of Wednesday’s 2-1 loss, a video showed Bellingham standing on the field as Argentina players began to celebrate. After Argentinian defender Valentín Barco joined the celebration, Bellingham immediately turned and struck him on the head.
It’s not clear whether or not Barco did or said something to spark Bellingham’s reaction, but Barco responded by shoving Bellingham. The other Argentina players immediately started trying to separate the two before Bellingham’s England teammates approached to do the same.
The incident came after England suffered a frustrating 2-1 loss to Argentina, after Bellingham helped put the team ahead 1-0 in the second half with a perfectly placed cross.
Bellingham Sparks Outrage
While it’s not clear what led to this reaction from Bellingham, he was certainly the first to get physical with Barco, and fans were quick to express their outrage at the incident.
“Wait what? Why on earth has he done that?!” one fan wrote in a post on X.
“The guy literally didn’t do anything???” someone else wrote.
“They must have told him something. Even so, you have to know how to lose,” another fan wrote.
“What outrages me is that this guy went out of nowhere to attack a rival player who was just happily celebrating with his team. Good thing he was exposed for the coward he is,” someone else added.
“Something so nasty about male players getting violent the second they’re losing,” another fan wrote, adding that “the kid didn’t even touch him.”
“One of the most unlikable and insufferable players out there. Bellingham is the sorest loser you can imagine,” someone else wrote, adding a photo of him kicking a cooler in frustration on a previous occasion.
While England has been eliminated from championship contention, they do still have one more match to play as they are set to take on France in the third-place match on Saturday.
“Tottenhem”in və Argentina millisinin futbolçusu Kristian Romero karyerasını İtaliyada davam etdirə bilər.
Futbolpress.az xəbər verir ki, “İnter” müdafiəçini transfer etmək istəyir. Bu barədə insayder Fabrizio Romano məlumat yayıb. “Neradzurra” artıq oyunçu üçün London klubu ilə danışıqlara başlayıb.
Romero ilə “Barselona” da maraqlanır. Argentinalı futbolçu dünya çempionatından sonra seçimini edəcək.
“Tanqoçular” yarımfinalda bu gün İngiltərə ilə qarşılaşacaq. Matça saat 23:00-da start veriləcək.
İngiltərə millisinin futbolçusu Niko Orayli DÇ-2026-nın yarımfinalında Argentinaya qarşı keçirəcəkləri oyundan əvvəl açıqlama verib.
Futbolpress.az “BBC Sport”a istinadən xəbər verir ki, yarımmüdafiəçi “tanqoçular”ın kapitanı Lionel Messidən danışıb:
“Messi ilə qarşılaşmaq üçün səbirsizlənirəm. O, artıq karyerasının sonuna yaxınlaşır. Messi mənim üçün meydanda qarşılaşacağım ən yaxşı futbolçudur. Çətin olacaq, amma onunla üz-üzə gəlməyə hazıram”.
Sabah keçiriləcək Argentina – İngiltərə matçına saat 23:00-da start veriləcək.
The build-up to England’s World Cup semi-final against Argentina has taken a controversial turn following FIFA’s choice of referee.
With Thomas Tuchel’s side attempting to reach their first final since 1966 and the defending champions chasing consecutive titles, every decision in Atlanta will face enormous scrutiny.
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Argentina’s knockout run has already produced complaints about VAR and refereeing, so the appointment was always likely to attract attention.
However, previous connections between the selected official and matches involving Lionel Messi have intensified the debate before a ball has even been kicked.
FIFA appointment adds pre-match controversy
According to the Daily Mail, concerns about possible favouritism have grown after FIFA appointed Ismail Elfath to referee Wednesday’s semi-final.
The Moroccan-born American will be assisted by Corey Parker and Kyle Atkins, while Italy’s Maurizio Mariani has been named fourth official.
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ESPN has also confirmed Elfath’s appointment for the match at Atlanta Stadium. He has already handled three games at this World Cup, although this will be his first involving either England or Argentina.
Elfath served as fourth official when Argentina defeated France in the 2022 World Cup final.
He has also refereed several Inter Miami matches since Messi moved to MLS, including the 2023 Leagues Cup final against Nashville.
Calling him Messi’s “favourite referee”, however, remains a media description rather than evidence of an improper relationship or biased decision-making.
Officials face scrutiny ahead of Argentina vs England
The wider concern comes from controversy surrounding Argentina’s victories over Egypt and Switzerland.
Reuters reported that opponents have repeatedly complained about decisions benefiting Argentina, although former FIFA referee Christina Unkel said the incidents she reviewed did not clearly demonstrate poor officiating.
FIFA refereeing chief Pierluigi Collina has also rejected allegations of bias, insisting that World Cup officials work independently and that questioning their integrity without evidence is unacceptable.
Elfath should be judged on Wednesday’s performance rather than his previous contact with Messi.
Referees frequently oversee the same leading players, especially when they work in the league where those players compete.
Still, FIFA must understand why the appointment has created nervousness. After several disputed decisions involving Argentina, even a correct but marginal call could trigger another major backlash.
June 27, 2026; Arlington, Texas, U.S.; Argentina's Lionel Messi shakes hands with referee Istvan Kovacs after the match. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Argentinian superstar Lionel Messi has turned back the clock and is arguably turning in the most impressive World Cup performance in his career during the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America.
Entering Argentina’s semifinal matchup against England, Messi has scored eight goals and provided two assists. However, as great as Messi has been, a lot of the conversation around Argentina has surrounded what many have found to be preferential treatment during its games.
After losing 3-2 to Argentina 3-2 in the round of 16, Egypt coach Hossam Hassan did not hold back when discussing what he felt was a match where his country had to overcome not only the great Messi, but the FIFA referees as well.
“We haven’t seen respect or fair play,” he told media members. “A penalty was ruled out and a second (incident) that should have been checked for a penalty for us was not even checked by the VAR. A second goal was remarkably, for whatever reason, disallowed.
“There seems to have been pressure on the Argentinian side on the referee that has brought about this outcome. Life is unfair. The world is unfair. OK, but why isn’t there any fairness in sports? I’m not convinced by this outcome and by the way things unfolded in this match.”
One controversial moment in the match occurred when Egypt had what would’ve been its second goal of the match overturned by a VAR review that left even Fox’s announcers stunned.
Many fans have felt that Argentina has received favorable rulings throughout the entirety of its World Cup run, leading them to dub the squad as “VARgentina.” Now, a delve into the numbers has revealed the truth behind Argentina’s relationship with VAR reviews.
Per the graph, which was provided on July 11th before Argentina’s quarterfinals win over Switzerland, which saw a Swiss player sent off after a VAR review, of all the teams that reached the quarterfinals, only Argentina didn’t have a single foul committed be reviewed by VAR, while also having the most fouls in its favor reviewed by a wide margin.
Still, Brennan Klein, director of the Northeastern NetSI Sport research group, is not going as far as to say that Argentina has received preferential treatment.
“Why are Argentina and Mexico topping this list?” he said. “They are topping this list because the referees missed fouls that the VAR thought should have been fouls. There’s a hop, step and a jump away from: ‘They’re biased against my team or for this team.’”
Still, these findings certainly won’t help quell any fan narratives that FIFA is favoring Argentina.
Argentina’s preparations for their blockbuster World Cup semi-final against England have taken an unexpected turn, with the reigning champions making a special request regarding the kit they will wear in Atlanta.
The decision may seem like a minor detail compared with team selection and tactics, but shirts often carry emotional and historical meaning in international football.
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With Argentina and England sharing one of the World Cup’s most famous rivalries, the choice of colours has already created another talking point before Wednesday’s meeting.
Argentina await FIFA decision over blue kit
According to journalist Gastón Edul, Argentina have requested permission to wear their blue away jersey against England.
A final decision is expected on Tuesday, just one day before the two teams compete for a place in the World Cup final.
Argentina have worn the blue strip only once during this tournament, in their 3-1 group-stage victory over Jordan.
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England have been designated as the home team for the semi-final, which provides a practical explanation for Argentina’s request, although the traditional light-blue-and-white shirt would not necessarily create a major colour clash.
There may also be a superstitious element. Argentina wore darker away colours during their famous World Cup victories over England in 1986 and 1998, creating a possible sense of good fortune around the shirt.
The Football Association has confirmed that England and Argentina will meet in Atlanta on Wednesday, 15th July, at 8pm BST.
England reached the last four by beating Norway 2-1 after extra time, while Argentina defeated Switzerland 3-1 following another extended quarter-final.
The kit request adds another fascinating layer to an already enormous match.
Argentina are usually instantly recognisable in their striped home shirt, but the dark-blue jersey carries its own history against England.
Ultimately, the colour will not decide the result. Tactics, fitness and handling the pressure will matter far more.
Still, football is full of rituals, and if Argentina believe the blue shirt gives them even a small psychological lift, it is understandable that they want to wear it.
The football teams of forty-eight countries set out with a chance of winning the World Cup on June 11, and the hopes of just four nations remain alive.
The top four teams in the FIFA rankings, with eight previous titles between them, will lock horns on Tuesday and Wednesday to try to secure a place in what is set to be the grandest of showpiece occasions in sport: the World Cup Final at New York New Jersey Stadium on Sunday, July 19.
Al Jazeera ranks the contenders for the title:
Argentina’s Lionel Messi takes a break during the quarterfinal [Lee Smith/Reuters]
4. Argentina
What’s this? The defending champions as the outsiders?
Well, Algeria, Austria, Jordan, Cape Verde, Egypt and Switzerland must be one of the kindest ever paths to the business end of a World Cup, and La Albiceleste have not exactly been convincing along it.
They were made to sweat by Cape Verde and Egypt in the knockout stages before finding a way to prevail in dramatic circumstances, and the pattern was repeated against Switzerland in Kansas City on Saturday night, when they went almost 90 minutes without a shot on target following Alexis Mac Allister’s early opening goal.
Their ageing side eventually prevailed after 120 minutes in sweltering conditions. Had Switzerland kept 11 men on the field, things might have been very different, but, once again, in the end, the defending champions found a way to win when they were well below their best.
Surely they cannot get away with another performance like that against England? Well, England fans might well be saying the same about the Three Lions. Both Harry Kane and Lionel Messi fell well short of their best in the last-eight matchups too.
The outpouring of emotion from Messi at full-time in the comeback win over Egypt showed just how close the three-time winners came to being eliminated. In an already emotionally charged matchup with England, expect tempers to rise and tears to flow on either side come full-time.
If Argentina, and – in his first-ever appearance against the Three Lions – Messi, are able to rediscover their swagger and win, ousting their old foes from the tournament in the knockout stages for a third straight time, then the confidence and momentum they would take into the final would be huge.
However, nothing they have shown in the US this summer would suggest that is likely to happen.
And even if it did, whether it would be enough to give them the edge against European champions Spain, or a vengeful France side they vanquished on penalties in the epic final of Qatar 2022, is another matter entirely.
England’s Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane celebrate after beating Norway [Paul Childs/Reuters]
3. England
Have we seen the best of England in this tournament? Probably not. And yet, here they are, in the semifinals for just the fourth time ever.
The win over Norway was neither pretty nor convincing, and manager Thomas Tuchel admitted they were lucky to get through, thanks largely to Jude Bellingham putting the team on his shoulders at a couple of key moments once again. Could a midfielder really win the Golden Boot? He is only two behind Messi and Kylian Mbappe with six goals already.
Much to Tuchel’s frustration, bar a 20-minute purple patch in the second half of the 4-2 opening game win against Croatia, England have yet to dominate a team, and relied on counterattacking bursts to give them a 3-2 lead to defend in the epic round-of-16 victory over Mexico in the cauldron of the Azteca.
What they have shown is character, in abundance, and they will likely need plenty more of that if they are to end 60 years of longing for a second World Cup title.
The game against Argentina will be far more than 11 vs 11; the ghosts of football history will line up alongside both teams, and the hype and pressure are sure to be enormous.
A few possible positives for England will be that they have already made par for this tournament: Ranked fourth in the world, they have reached the last four. Anything else would be a bonus. Nobody really considers them a top-two team in the world, which might help to alleviate some of the burden of expectation.
After a trip to the altitude of Mexico City, and the oppressive heat and humidity of Miami, a return to the 22-Celsius (71.6F) climate-controlled confines of Atlanta, where England overcame DR Congo in the round of 32, will be welcome.
They also have no new suspensions to deal with, with Jarell Quansah left with one game of his two-match ban to serve; and there were minutes for Reece James against Norway. England will meanwhile be hoping Declan Rice recovers fully after a 45-minute cameo in which he was patently not fit following illness.
An ageing Argentina side have struggled against the pace, movement and trickery of Cape Verde, Egypt and Switzerland in the past three rounds, and Bukayo Saka, Anthony Gordon, and even Marcus Rashford will be even better placed to exploit that.
Beyond Messi, Argentina have not posed too many attacking questions themselves, though Julian Alvarez’s stunning strike against Switzerland might just be the start of his own World Cup.
All things considered, expect England to make it through to the final, but France would likely be a step too far, and even Spain would be a big ask, despite the additional motivation of revenge for their Euro 2024 final defeat.
Spain’s Mikel Merino celebrates the victory against Belgium [Jessie Alcheh/Reuters]
2. Spain
They are the third semifinalists yet to find top gear at this tournament, bar a one-sided display against Austria in the round of 32.
La Roja’s stoic defence might have been punctured for the first time this summer by Belgium in the last eight, but the 649 minutes that preceded that goal were the longest streak in World Cup history without conceding, and they have still allowed just seven shots on target in their six matches so far.
Though the goal contribution stats might not reflect it, Lamine Yamal has shown flashes of a return to top form after that season-ending hamstring injury in April, while La Roja’s carousel of tricky attackers has posed problems for defences in all six matches so far, and Mikel Merino has written himself into folklore with last-gasp winners against Portugal and Belgium.
Four-goal leading scorer Mikel Oyarzabal has gone off the boil in the past couple of games, however, and is unlikely to strike too much fear into the French backline.
While teenage defender Pau Cubarsi looks at home on the biggest stage of all, he is yet to face the kind of test that Kylian Mbappe, Michael Olise and Ousmane Dembele will pose.
If they make the final, Spain will be favourites to win it, and they have won the World Cup the only time they previously reached the last four, but despite having beaten France in their past two encounters, a third should be beyond them.
France’s forward line of Kylian Mbappe (bottom), Ousmane Dembele (top), Bradley Barcola (right), and Michael Olise (left) is considered the strongest at the tournament [Mauro Pimentel/AFP]
1. France
Before their last-eight matchup with Morocco, we asserted that France were the class of the field with a fearsome foursome in attack and a defence that, although it had not really been tested yet, had only allowed two goals in five matches.
Well, make that two in six, even if they still have not really been tested, such was the Atlas Lions’ toothless attack on the night in their 2-0 defeat.
Mbappe further enhanced his credentials for the Golden Boot and all-time World Cup scoring record with another quality goal against Morocco, and Olise, Dembele, Desire Doue and Bradley Barcola continue to threaten across the field in a way no other team on earth can.
Spain, and in particular their defence, will pose a different challenge, and the underworked French defence will likely get their own test this time, too, with the likes of Dani Olmo, Alex Baena, Ferran Torres and Fabian Ruiz getting into promising positions around Oyarzabal, and that’s not to mention super-sub Merino.
Whoever beats France will surely lift the World Cup, but none of the remaining teams can match the dynamism of Les Bleus’ forwards. Although Spain will likely be their hardest challenge, it is one you can expect Didier Deschamps’s men to overcome, not least fuelled by the additional motivation of having lost to La Roja in the Euro 2024 and Nations League semifinals over the past two years.
The Territory (+167.1%) helps Ford up 28.4% this month.
It’s another poor month for new light vehicle sales in Argentina, with June volumes down -13.7% year-on-year to 43,199 units. The year-to-date tally is off -10.5% to 277,049. Toyota (-17.8%) leads the brands ranking for the 4th month in a row and finally ascends to the first spot year-to-date, displacing Volkswagen (-31.6%) in complete freefall this month. Fiat (-28.2%) also endures a harsh fall but Ford (+28.4%) defies the negative market and stays at #4 with 10.1% share. Chevrolet (-13%) evolves like th market and rounds out the Top 5 above sinking Peugeot (-37.3%) and Renault (-49.3%). Newcomer BYD equals its ranking record at #8 and is at an all-time high 1,740 sales. Chery (+1316.3%), BAIC (+302.9%) and Haval (+180.6%) stand out in the remainder of the Top 20.
Over in the models charts, the Toyota Hilux (+34.1%) goes against the depleted market and achieves its highest share so far this year at 6.9%. The Fiat Cronos (-34.6%) is back up to #2 ahead of the Ford Ranger (-16%) while the Ford Territory (+167.1%) continues to perform very well at #4. The VW Amarok (-34.7%), in poor form, rounds out the Top 5 which is better than the 7th spot it holds year-to-date. The VW Tera (#6) is the best-selling recent launch in the country above the Toyota Yaris Cross (#9), BYD Atto 2 (#24), BYD Dolphin Mini (#26) and BYD Song Pro (#27).
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