England’s World Cup semi-final against Argentina on Wednesday (20:00 BST, live on the BBC) has been overshadowed by two bitter controversies. The first stems from Jude Bellingham’s goal in the Three Lions’ 2-1 quarter-final win over Norway, a strike that Norway insist should have been disallowed after the ball appeared to strike the spidercam in the build-up. The second involves Argentina’s Lautaro Martinez, who leapt into the crowd after scoring his side’s third goal against Switzerland while already on a yellow card — a celebration that has prompted widespread demands for him to be suspended.
The furore comes as Lionel Messi, the world’s greatest ever player, prepares to face England for the first time in his career. He described the Three Lions as a “powerhouse”. England reached the last four after beating Norway 2-1, a game in which Declan Rice was substituted at half-time. Thomas Tuchel admitted England “got lucky” after Bellingham’s controversial goal stood. Now, with Argentina awaiting, the semi-final promises to be one of the most charged encounters of the tournament — and the debate over Martinez’s suspension is far from settled.
“England's semi-final against Argentina is overshadowed by calls for Lautaro Martinez's suspension and a disputed Bellingham goal.”