Jude Bellingham thanked England supporters and urged the nation to remain united after the Three Lions‘ World Cup dream ended with a heartbreaking 2-1 semifinal loss to Argentina.
The England midfielder shared an emotional message on Instagram less than a day after the defeat, posting a lengthy poem given to him by a taxi driver along with his own message of gratitude. His post came as questions continued surrounding a postgame incident that could draw FIFA’s attention before England’s third-place soccer match against France.
Jude Bellingham Calls for Unity After England’s World Cup Exit
Bellingham admitted he struggled to find the right words after England narrowly missed out on a place in the World Cup final.
Sharing the poem from a taxi driver, he explained why it resonated with him following the loss.
“Was really struggling to find the right words for yesterday and the last few weeks but this pretty much hits the nail on the head from our driver in Kansas,” Bellingham wrote on Instagram.
He then thanked supporters who backed England throughout the tournament.
“Thank you for the unbelievable support from back home and to those who spent their hard earned money to travel to America and get behind us.”
The Real Madrid star finished his message with a plea for supporters to stay together despite the disappointment.
“Don’t let the unity and love we’ve seen in our country end with this campaign. When we’re together we can achieve big things … And we will!”
The poem Bellingham shared praised discipline, resilience and teamwork, ending with the line, “The truest roar will still be heard, A soul made strong. A soul assured.”
Bellingham Says England Wanted to End 60 Years of Waiting
Following the semifinal defeat, Bellingham spoke with the BBC about how much reaching the World Cup final meant to the squad.
“It’s gutting,” he said.
The midfielder explained that he hoped this England team would finally end the nation’s long wait for another World Cup title after its only triumph in 1966.
“I wanted to be a part of the England squad that’d finally done it,” he said.
Bellingham also admitted he wished he could have done more to help England reach Sunday’s final.
“I wish I could give more, one more win or two more wins.”
England looked on course to reach the championship match after Anthony Gordon opened the scoring, but Argentina produced two late goals to complete a dramatic comeback and advance to face Spain.
Bellingham finished the tournament with six goals, making him one of England’s standout performers despite the disappointing ending.
Jude Bellingham Could Face FIFA Review Before France Match
After the final whistle, tensions spilled over as Bellingham approached a group of celebrating Argentina players. Video shared by Spanish outlet Diario AS appeared to show him slap substitute Valentín Barco on the back of the head, sparking a brief confrontation before England teammates stepped in to pull him away.
The altercation came after several heated moments during the match.
Bellingham exchanged words with Lionel Messi during play and was also involved in a verbal confrontation with Rodrigo De Paul after Argentina scored the winning goal in second-half stoppage time.
The midfielder struggled to make his usual attacking impact against Argentina, finishing without a shot or a chance created while receiving several heavy challenges throughout the match.
The postgame incident could now be reviewed by FIFA’s disciplinary committee.
Bellingham was finally seen leaving the pitch in tears.
Jude Bellingham Makes Emotional Plea After England Falls Short of World Cup Final