Lionel Messi and Jude Bellingham were involved in a heated exchange during Argentina's World Cup semifinal victory over England on Wednesday at Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Early in the match, after a foul sparked an altercation involving multiple players, Messi was seen in a tense verbal exchange with the England star. As Bellingham moved away, Messi reportedly stared at him and gave a sarcastic nod. The match ultimately saw Argentina come from behind to secure a place in the final, with Messi providing two assists.
England took the lead in the 55th minute when Anthony Gordon converted Morgan Rogers' cross. Argentina equalized nearly half an hour later with a long-range strike from Enzo Fernandez, assisted by Messi. Lautaro Martinez then scored the winning goal with a header from Messi's cross in the 92nd minute, ending England's World Cup hopes.
Argentina will now face Spain in Sunday's final, aiming to become the first team since Brazil in 1962 to win consecutive World Cup titles.
The semifinal was marked by several contentious moments. Argentina's Leandro Paredes was criticized for an attempt to get England captain Harry Kane cautioned. Midfielder Elliot Anderson received a yellow card after being repeatedly fouled, prompting Paredes to alert the referee that Kane had allegedly covered his mouth while speaking to the official. A recent FIFA rule prohibits players from covering their mouths when speaking to each other, but not to referees. While players Miguel Almiron and Piero Hincapie had been sent off for this offense during the tournament, Kane was reportedly speaking to the referee, not another player.
"Pathetic," former England goalkeeper Joe Hart commented on the incident during halftime. "He was talking to the referee. He was trying to be clear - it's so difficult to communicate out there. Harry Kane was just trying to have a personal conversation with the referee. I get it, of course they're going to do anything they can to win this game." Wayne Rooney described the action as "ridiculous."
