Bellingham makes rude gesture toward opponent during Euro match

Jude Bellingham (number 10) scores from a bicycle kick for England against Slovakia in the round of 16 of Euro on June 30, 2024. Photo by Reuters

Jude Bellingham has been accused of taunting the opponent as he put his hand on his mouth and pointed to his private parts after equalizing 1-1 for England against Slovakia in Euro round of 16.

In the fifth minute of injury time in the second half, Bellingham scored a beauty from a bicycle kick to equalize 1-1 for England against Slovakia. The 21-year-old midfielder ran to the technical area and shouted: "Who else?"

Bellingham then shared the joy with his teammates, opening his arms wide to celebrate in the familiar style, along with striker Harry Kane. After that, the star midfielder turned towards Slovakia's technical area, put his hand on his mouth and shook his hand in front of his crotch. This moment happened quickly but was still caught by the cameras.

Before the goal, Bellingham did not have a good game and was repeatedly mocked by the Slovak fans.

"I heard ridiculous words from the stands, even before kick off," said the Real Madrid midfielder. "It's important that I found a way to respond to them by scoring."

According to newspaper Bolavip, Bellingham's actions were considered "insulting" to the Slovakia national team. Many people on social media also called on UEFA to punish this midfielder.

After that, Bellingham shared the video on X and wrote: An inside joke gesture towards some close friends who were at the game. Nothing but respect for how that Slovakia team played tonight."

However, many did not believe Bellingham's excuse.

Account Garlic-Cheese-Chips commented on Reddit: "Be honest and admit that you're a prick." SRFC_96 wrote: "Clearly this is just a PR move when Bellingham responded so quickly."

Bellingham was chosen as the player of the match, with this important goal. At the beginning of extra time, Harry Kane scored from a header to seal a 2-1 victory for England, sending the team to the quarterfinals where they will play Switzerland.

Bellingham scored the only goal to help England beat Serbia 1-0 in the opening match but played poorly in the next two matches. The 21-year-old shined at the right time and rescued England, just a few dozen seconds before time ran out.

"We were 50 seconds away from being eliminated," Bellingham said.