Bellingham faces Fifa ban after appearing to slap Argentina substitute in World Cup semi-final aftermath

Jude Bellingham is facing potential Fifa disciplinary action — including a suspension — after appearing to strike Argentina substitute Valentin Barco on the back of the head following England’s 2-1 World Cup semi-final defeat in Atlanta on Wednesday.

The incident unfolded after the final whistle as Barco, who had not featured in the match, celebrated on the pitch with his teammates. Television footage showed Bellingham approaching the 21-year-old and slapping him on the back of the head. Barco immediately turned and shoved Bellingham in response, before Nico Paz attempted to intervene. The confrontation quickly escalated as players from both sides became involved.

Fifa’s disciplinary committee has yet to confirm whether it will take action, but any sanction could rule Bellingham out of England’s third-place play-off against France in Miami on Saturday.

Earlier footage points to a possible trigger for Bellingham’s reaction. Barco — reportedly a transfer target for Chelsea — was seen sprinting towards the England dugout after Enzo Fernandez’s equaliser, appearing to celebrate directly in front of manager Thomas Tuchel and his staff. John Stones had also shoved Barco during that same moment of celebration.

The flashpoint was not the only controversy to emerge from the match. Downing Street backed calls for Fifa to investigate whether Argentina’s squad violated competition rules by displaying a banner reading “Las Malvinas son Argentinas” — “The Falkland Islands are Argentinian” — following their victory. Business Secretary Peter Kyle had earlier urged the governing body to “thoroughly” probe the incident involving the banner, which referenced the long-running territorial dispute over the British overseas territory.

The match itself was a fractious affair, producing 19 fouls and a largely subdued first half before the late drama that spilled over into the post-match scenes.