Jude Bellingham explains heated exchange with Lionel Messi after being accused of ‘waking the beast’

FootballSports
16 Jul 2026 • 5:41 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

Jude Bellingham explains heated exchange with Lionel Messi after being accused of ‘waking the beast’

  • England's Jude Bellingham downplayed a heated on-pitch conversation with Argentina captain Lionel Messi during their World Cup semi-final, stating they were merely "discussing a foul" and that it was "nothing big really".
  • The incident occurred in the first-half of the match in Atlanta, with Bellingham explaining he challenged Messi about a foul, to which Messi retorted about an earlier one, leading to Bellingham's comment about Messi's strength.
  • Argentina secured a 2-1 victory over England, with Messi setting up both late goals, breaking English hopes in the semi-final contest.
  • Following the match, Thierry Henry criticised Bellingham on FOX for confronting Messi, insisting the England midfielder should have been careful to not “wake up the beast”.
  • England manager Thomas Tuchel faced criticism for his tactical decisions and substitutions in the second-half, particularly after England took a 1-0 lead, but maintained he had "no regrets" about his approach.

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