Former England number one Joe Hart detailed the emotions he felt at the time - and how he would have reacted had he, and not Jordan Pickford, been on the other end of Jude Bellingham's response
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - JULY 15: (L-R) Harry Kane #9, Jordan Pickford #1, Marc Guehi #6 and Jude Bellingham #10 of England react after Argentina's first goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Semi Final match between England and Argentina at Atlanta Stadium on July 15, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
Harry Kane, Jordan Pickford, Marc Guehi and Jude Bellingham react after Argentina's first goal during the World Cup 2026 semi-final match. Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images
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Joe Hart waded into the debate around Argentina’s equaliser against England by questioning Jude Bellingham’s response to Enzo Fernandez’s goal, which led to criticism over Jordan Pickford.
The long-range effort was the first of a late double blow that saw England knocked out of the World Cup after entering the final stages of their semi-final with the holders ahead through Anthony Gordon’s 55th-minute effort.
The goal has sparked ferocious debate about Pickford’s positioning, with some arguing he should have been better placed to stop the effort.
Other commentators have pointed out the Everton star had his view blocked by a number of team-mates, had little time to react given England appeared set to deal with a cross from Lionel Messi, and was then given little protection when the Argentina captain instead pulled it back to Fernandez, who had time and space to pick his spot.
Amid the fall-out, Bellingham’s reaction has been a source of controversy. The Real Madrid star, who scored his seventh of the tournament in the 6-4 third-place win against France on Saturday night, for which Pickford, was rested for, appeared to complain "it's the middle of the goal" after watching replays of the strike in Atlanta on Wednesday.
For Hart, a former England number one and Premier League winner with Manchester City, the response crossed a line.
Speaking on The Rest is Football, he said: “The reason why a lot of people, now that Jude has shown the world that it wasn’t in the corner… One thing that I struggled with as a team-mate, I’m a calm and nice guy who wants everyone to do well, but there were moments as a goalkeeper, which I didn’t know I had in me, when I was very young, someone in a League Two game, Shrewsbury Town, one of the centre-halves after I didn’t come for a cross, which maybe I should have, said: “Come for the f*** cross!” I’ll go: ‘Absolutely no problem’.
“When someone starts going like this to the crowd [gestures what Bellingham did after the goal], red mist. I’ll fight anyone. Because that’s not a team-mate in my opinion. I did not love what happened there.
“I get it’s emotional and I get Jude wears his heart on his sleeve, but when it comes to moments like that, I’d rather one of my own team-mates stand over me and say, “save the f*** ball”, than gesticulate to the crowd. It’s who he is, and it is what makes him who he is, but that’s not helping anyone, because that actual action, because now we want the perfect world where Jordan Pickford is standing in the middle of the goal, and if anything in the corners he can get to.
Jude Bellingham reacts after Enzo Fernandez's equaliser
Jude Bellingham reacts after Enzo Fernandez's equaliser
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“There were five, six or seven bodies he was trying… That made my chest tight after the game. I’m with Jude for the cavalier way he brings it on, but you can’t have 11 of those in your team, and I’ve said that… I would have struggled with that.
“I’m not saying Jude is wrong - he’s free to do whatever he wants, but if you want my opinion on how that would have made me feel… and who’s to say I’m right?”
Pickford, who finishes the tournament as a bronze medallist, and as England's all-time leading record appearance maker at World Cup finals, will now take a break before returning to Everton next month ahead of the start of the Premier League season.