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By Megan Armstrong
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Last Saturday, July 11, England midfielder Jude Bellingham stood on the field and gazed up at the crowd as they showered him with The Beatles' "Hey Jude." England had just beaten Norway behind Bellingham's brace to advance to the semifinal — one step closer to winning the 2026 FIFA men's World Cup and bringing it home for the first time since 1966.
Come Wednesday, July 15, Bellingham stood still in the same way. Hands on his hips, silently looking in the crowd. But this time, he was in disbelief.
England held a 1-0 lead after Anthony Gordon's 55th-minute goal, and the the Three Lions were five minutes away from the World Cup final. Then, Enzo Fernandez scored an absolute golazo to equalize in the 85th minute, and Lautaro Martinez buried Lionel Messi's cross to win it in stoppage time.
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Every England player looked shellshocked, but the 60 years' worth of pain was especially visible on Bellingham's face.
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Bellingham and the rest of the Three Lions are the latest victims of Argentina's uncanny comeback gene.
Argentina and Messi have taken years off of fans' lives in each of their four knockout stage matches.
To start, Cape Verde pushed Argentina to the brink in the Round of 32 before Argentina escaped with a 3-2 win in extra time. In the Round of 16, Egypt carried a 2-0 advantage deep into the second half, but Cristian Romero, Messi, and Fernandez each scored between the 79th and 92nd minute to, again, escape with a 3-2 win.
Argentina and Switzerland were locked at 1-1 well into extra time during their quarterfinal match, but then Julian Alvarez and Martinez found the back of the net to emerge victorious.
And now, England have suffered a defeat that will hurt indefinitely.
The Three Lions will face France in the 3rd-place match in Miami on Saturday, July 18, while Argentina will take on Spain in the World Cup final on Sunday, July 19. Argentina are vying to become the first repeat men's World Cup champions since Brazil in 1958 and 1962.
See more clips of Bellingham and England's devastation below.
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