Jude Bellingham and Cristian Romero reignite World Cup feud in Madrid derby

Jude Bellingham and Cristian Romero exchanged insults as Atletico Madrid beat Real Madrid 2-1 in a tense La Liga derby on Sunday, reviving a dispute that began during the World Cup.

The two players were seen trading words throughout the match at the Metropolitano, with their previous meeting in the World Cup semi-final between England and Argentina still clearly in the background.

England had taken the lead in that match before Argentina mounted a late comeback, scoring twice in the closing stages to win 2-1. Romero, a former Tottenham defender, was part of the Argentina side.

According to El Dia Despues, a programme connected with Movistar, Bellingham mocked Romero by suggesting the defender was only outspoken when Lionel Messi was playing alongside him.

The Spanish programme reported that Bellingham told Romero: “When you’re with (Lionel) Messi, you talk a lot. But here, nothing.”

Bellingham also reportedly called Messi’s Argentina team-mate a “coward”.

Romero responded by describing the Real Madrid midfielder as a “cry-baby” and referring to England’s defeat at the World Cup.

“You cried there,” Romero was reported to have told Bellingham, according to the British newspaper Mirror.