England star Jude Bellingham had to be separated from the match officials just as the halftime whistle blew, and was also spotted in a heated exchange with Lionel Messi following a tense opening 45 minutes.
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The first half concluded scoreless between England and Argentina, but it was a dramatic beginning to the FIFA World Cup semifinal. Both sides came to blows in the opening three minutes following two bruising challenges by Argentina.
The physical nature persisted, and Thomas Tuchel and Lionel Scaloni were both demonstrative on the touchline, having made their sentiments toward each other known seconds before kickoff, with another flashpoint erupting after Eliot Anderson took aim at Messi. Bellingham was incensed at the interval and expressed his frustration toward Messi and the match officials, as per The Mirror US.
-Credit:PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA, AFP via Getty Images
England was granted a corner and readied itself for the final action of the half, but the referee opted to sound the whistle instead. England was livid, with players appealing to the referee.
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There were three minutes of added time announced, and the corner was given three minutes and 10 seconds into injury time. Moments before, Bellingham was adamant that he had been fouled, but the referee turned a blind eye.
With multiple incidents infuriating the England national team and Argentina doing everything possible to disrupt proceedings, Bellingham confronted the referee and was making his point. Messi was also engaged, and Bellingham was spotted in a confrontation with the Argentina icon.
Messi is famously not a competent English speaker, but Bellingham’s Spanish has noticeably improved since his move to Real Madrid. Bellingham was eventually pulled away by his teammates, who were keen to regroup ahead of halftime.
From the opening whistle, England looked to maintain their composure and avoid being drawn into Argentina’s tactical trap. However, that resolve was tested from the moment the squad set foot in the stadium hours before kickoff.
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As the England national team arrived at Atlanta Stadium, they completed a lap of the field and were met with jeers from Argentina supporters already packed inside. Outside the ground, fans were experiencing much of the same treatment.
Argentina supporters then ruthlessly booed England icon David Beckham when his image appeared on the big screen. Beckham was infamously red-carded against Argentina during the 1998 World Cup.
The Argentina faithful weren’t finished there, booing and whistling throughout the English national anthem. That prompted England fans to hit back, but it was the players who were left bracing themselves for battle.
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The fierce rivalry between the two nations has simmered for 60 years, dating back to the 1966 World Cup. Tensions escalated dramatically off the soccer field in 1982 as a result of the Falklands War.
Argentina subsequently eliminated England from the World Cup in both 1986 and 1998, and the two sides have not faced each other since a friendly fixture in 2005.