Jude Bellingham, the former Birmingham City midfielder, has shared a heartbreaking poem in the wake of England's World Cup exit. The Three Lions lost 2-1 to Argentina in the semi-final of the FIFA 2026 World Cup in the United States on Wednesday night.
England's Semi-Final Defeat
England took the lead through Anthony Gordon's opener, but Argentina scored two late goals—in the 84th and 92nd minutes—to overturn the scoreline. The defeat ended England's hopes under manager Thomas Tuchel.
Bellingham, who scored two goals in the quarter-final against Norway and a brace against Mexico in the previous round, shared a four-page poem written by the team driver, Michael Chandler. The poem was titled 'The Lions Way'.
Bellingham's Message to Fans
The 23-year-old from Stourbridge wrote: "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. 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. 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! Love yous!"
Confrontation with Lionel Messi
Bellingham also addressed his confrontation with Lionel Messi in the mixed zone after the match. He insisted "nothing bad at all" happened, explaining: "We were discussing a foul actually, but it was nothing bad at all. I'm sure everyone will do their thing and make it a big deal, but no, it was nothing big really. I thought it was a foul earlier and he said, 'What about the one on me?' And I was just saying, 'You're strong enough to take them.' It's a privilege to play against him, it was nothing like that against him. Obviously I'm on the losing side, it hurts a lot but it's a privilege to play against one of the best."
