Fascinating ‘ref cam’ footage from England’s 2-1 defeat to Argentina in the World Cup semi-finals has been uploaded by FIFA and features an eyebrow-raising incident between Jude Bellingham and referee Ismail Elfath at full-time.

England were five minutes away from securing a spot in the 2026 World Cup final after Anthony Gordon’s 55th-minute strike had given Thomas Tuchel’s side a 1-0 lead at the Atlanta Stadium.

But late goals from Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez, both assisted by 39-year-old Lionel Messi, saw Argentina break English hearts.

Tuchel was heavily criticised in the aftermath of the match for his overly defensive tactics as he attempted to preserve England’s one-goal advantage.

Gordon was substituted in the 72nd minute for centre-back Ezri Konsa as Tuchel switched to a back five, while Nico O’Reilly came on for Declan Rice.

England’s head coach was lambasted by fans and pundits alike following the defeat. Former Three Lions star Wayne Rooney said on the BBC: “It started from the manager and the decisions he made. It was too passive.

“Against this team, the world champions, you will not get away with it. This has been the biggest test and we have failed it. I felt the changes we made at 1-0, that if Argentina scored we wouldn’t make extra-time.”

Despite the intense criticism, the Football Association are expected to stick with Tuchel ahead of Euro 2028.

England bounced back from the Argentina defeat with a thrilling 6-4 victory over France in the third-place play-off, sealing their best finish at a World Cup since winning the tournament in 1966.

The ref cam footage from the Argentina game shows many of the game’s key moments, as well as the testing conditions that American match official Elfath was operating under.

Shortly after the full-time whistle was blown, Bellingham approached the referee, shook his hand and appeared to say: “Some shocking ones, but all the best”. Watch the clip below:

It’s unclear which “shocking” decisions Bellingham was specifically referring to, although there were a handful of contentious decisions calls made by Elfath during the match.

One of the biggest talking points was Messi’s potential foul on Djed Spence moments before Argentina’s winning goal. The incident was not recommended for review by VAR.

A five-minute video, with the caption “this is a worldwide scandal”, showing all the questionable decisions during the semi-final clash subsequently went viral on social media.

One British MP retweeted the video, alongside the message: “If FIFA had any sense of decency and sportsmanship, we’d get a replay with a different referee.”

Former Tottenham chairman Lord Alan Sugar added: “Is there a chance if FIFA watched this they would disqualify Argentina for cheating or have a replay with another referee?”

Argentina reached the final but were outclassed by newly-crowned world champions Spain at the New York New Jersey Stadium on Sunday.

Cameron Menzies has released a statement following a concerning on-stage incident during his World Matchplay Darts clash on Wednesday night.

The Scotsman lined up to face Ross Smith in the second round of this year’s tournament following his shock 10-7 victory over Luke Humphries on Monday.

The former world champion threatened to stage a dramatic comeback when he won four legs on the bounce after a poor start, finding himself 8-3 down after losing his first six legs with the throw.

Menzies then sealed the 10-7 victory in style as he reeled in the ‘Big Fish’ – hitting the maximum 170 checkout.

Cameron Menzies Buoyed By Shock Win Over Luke Humphries

The 37-year-old described the victory as the ‘biggest moment of my darts career’ and was left speechless following the win.

“I don’t know how to explain that. I did believe in my heart that I could maybe cause an upset, but I would have to play it out of my skin,” Menzies said.

“I wouldn’t say I played it out of my skin, but I played really well. I did say before the game started, to beat Luke, I need to take every chance that he gives me.

“It’s not like Luke to give a lot of chances away, but obviously I’m going to take it. A lot went in. I was happy. I stole a few legs to win, but it’s made the best moment of my darts career.”

The win meant he faced Ross Smith in the next round, following his 10-6 win over the Netherlands’ Kevin Doets on the same night. However, an on-stage incident meant that the match never reached its conclusion.

Cameron Menzies’ Medical Emergency vs Ross Smith

Menzies had continued his form from Monday’s game as he took a 2-1 lead, but, during the fourth leg, he was rushed off the stage after falling ill.

He stumbled to the side of the stage and became unsteady on his feet, with Smith and the match officials coming to his aid as the broadcast cut away, and the match was paused.

Statements Released By PDC & Menzies

The PDC later issued a statement explaining the situation further, saying: “Cameron Menzies was taken ill during his round two match against Ross Smith at the Betfred World Matchplay on Wednesday evening.

“We wish Cameron all the best and look forward to seeing him back in action soon.”

Menzies himself later posted on Facebook saying: “Thanks to everyone who’s checked in and sent messages. I’m okay.”

Let’s hope he can make a full recovery and get back to being the player we saw just days ago.