Jude Bellingham Downplays Viral Lionel Messi Exchange After England Loss

Argentina defeated England, 2-1, after a late comeback victory in the semifinals, scoring two goals from the 85th minute onward through Enzo Fernández and Lautaro Martínez to snatch a World Cup final spot right out of England’s hands. During the match, there was a moment where Jude Bellingham and Lionel Messi were in conversation, and it looked like a back-and-forth between the two stars. Bellingham smirked as he walked away, and Messi hit Bellingham with a shrug and a nod. Then the clip quickly made the rounds on the internet. But Bellingham, speaking to reporters afterward, clarified there was nothing malicious going on and downplayed the interaction between the two. “We were discussing a foul, actually,” Bellingham explained. “It was nothing bad. I’m sure everyone will do their thing and make it a big deal. But it was nothing big really.” During the intense post-match moment when both England and Argentina players were in each other’s faces, Bellingham also slapped Argentina midfielder Valentín Barco in the back of the head. Bellingham also showed admiration for Messi, who is now set to play in his third World Cup final and become just the second player ever to play in three different World Cup finals. “It was a privilege to play against him; it was nothing like that against him,” Bellingham said. “I’m obviously on the losing side, which hurts a lot. But a privilege to line up against one of the best.” Argentina will take on Spain on Sunday, July 19, at New York New Jersey Stadium as it looks to win its fourth World Cup title. A victory would move Argentina into a tie with Germany and Italy for the second-most World Cup titles in history.