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One of the most discussed moments on social media after the semifinal between Argentina and England at the 2026 World Cup was the light slap that Jude Bellingham gave to Argentine Valentín "Colo" Barco at the end of the match. The gesture surprised fans, as it seemingly occurred without an obvious explanation.
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So far, neither player has explained what happened. However, various theories about the incident began to emerge on social media.
Video muestra el momento en que Jude Bellingham le da un zape a Valentín "Colo" Barco
In a video widely shared on social media, Jude Bellingham is seen greeting some Argentine players as they celebrated their advancement to the final.
When Valentín "Colo" Barco enters the pitch to join his teammates, the English midfielder approaches and hits him on the head. Moments later, players from both teams intervene to prevent the situation from escalating.
Las teorías en redes sobre el altercado entre Jude Bellingham y Valentín "Colo" Barco
As of now, there is no official version of what happened.
One of the most widely held theories is that Barco may have said something that annoyed Bellingham. Some users claim the Argentine spoke while walking near the Englishman and believe the Real Madrid player could understand the comment since he speaks Spanish.
"It's known that Argentina is the problem, they must have said something thinking Jude wouldn't understand, and the guy speaks Spanish," commented an X user.
Another user wrote:
"I have zero doubts they said something racist and Bellingham (who speaks Spanish) heard it, and that's why he gave him such a tasty slap."
Other netizens believe that Bellingham's reaction was related to Barco's attitude during the celebrations of the Argentine goals.
In a video shared by user @Cleverlydey4u, Barco is seen entering the pitch after Argentina's first goal, scored by Enzo Fernández. As he passes near the English players jumping, some users interpret that he is trying to high-five Bellingham or trying to hit him in the face. However, he continues his path toward another English player, who pushes him before he reaches him.
"Jude did well. Valentín Barco approached their faces to mock them," wrote another user.
¿Qué dijo Jude Bellingham tras la eliminación de Inglaterra?
Beyond the controversy with Barco, Jude Bellingham lamented England's defeat and their elimination from the 2026 World Cup.
"It is a very sad day for us. We played a good game and fought hard. In the end, there is not much to say."
Regarding the decisions of manager Thomas Tuchel, the midfielder stated he had nothing more to add.
"There is nothing to say."
¿Qué sigue para Inglaterra?
After falling 2-1 to Argentina in the 2026 World Cup semifinals, England will play the third-place match against France next Saturday, July 18, at 3:00 PM (Central Mexico time).
[Publicidad]