Jude Bellingham, the 23-year-old Real Madrid midfielder, is enjoying a post-World Cup vacation in Hawaii with his girlfriend, Ashlyn Castro. Bellingham scored seven goals for England during the recent World Cup, helping the team reach the semi-finals.
Island Getaway
Bellingham has been documenting his trip on social media, sharing photos of himself hiking around the Kualoa Ranch nature reserve. He was seen sporting a black tank top, a red scarf, and a tweed flat cap. The couple also spent time at the beach, where Bellingham posed for photos in a blue bucket hat and white sunglasses.
Castro, an American model, also shared images from the trip, including photos of herself in a yellow and brown bikini.
Teammates' Breaks
Other England players are also taking time off after the World Cup. Arsenal's Declan Rice visited Florida's Disney World with his son, Jude, five, where they explored Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge at Disney's Hollywood Studios. Rice and his partner, Lauren Fryer, recently welcomed their second child.
Striker Ivan Toney has been photographed partying with friends, sharing an image of himself with a drink, wearing a neutral-toned co-ord outfit and a Louis Vuitton headscarf.
World Cup Controversies
Bellingham's World Cup performance was not without its controversies. Following England's semi-final loss to Argentina, he expressed frustration with several refereeing decisions, confronting referee Ismail Elfath. Footage released by FIFA showed Bellingham telling the referee, "Some shocking ones there, but all the best."
The match saw heated exchanges, including Bellingham appearing to slap Argentina's Valentin Barco on the back of the head. This occurred after Argentina's Cristian Romero had reportedly goaded Bellingham. Nicolas Otamendi also became involved in the altercation.
Argentina's celebrations after the match included holding a banner that read "Las Malvinas son Argentinas," a reference to the Falkland Islands, which Argentina claims as its own. FIFA is reportedly investigating disciplinary action related to the banner and the team's behavior.
The tournament also saw controversy surrounding Argentina's tactics in other matches, including their loss to Spain in the final. Following these events, Lionel Messi's public image in Britain has reportedly declined, according to a YouGov poll. Coming into the World Cup, Messi was viewed favorably by 55% of Britons, but that figure dropped to 29%, with unfavorable views rising from 9% to 44%.