Tempers Flare! Brawl Breaks Out After Enzo Fernandez And Elliot Anderson Clash In England Vs Argentina World Cup Semi-Final | VIDEO

The England vs Argentina match was a stop start affair with both teams coming down to physical play in the FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-final on Thursday. Tempers boiled over since the first kick of the game with Enzo Fernandez and Elliot Anderson involved in a heated altercation. Fernandez and Argentina seemed to target the English midfielder, who earlier tackled Lionel Messi and escaped a foul.

Although the tackle was not deemed a foul by the referee, Argentina seemed to have taken offence and responded with an increasingly aggressive approach. Within the opening six minutes, the defending champions had already conceded three fouls as they looked to unsettle England.

Fernandez then flew into a crunching challenge on Anderson in an incident that many felt warranted a yellow card. Instead, the Chelsea midfielder escaped without a booking before both teams squared up in an off-the-ball confrontation. Players rushed in from all directions as pushing and shoving briefly halted play.

Argentina's combative approach underlined their determination to disrupt England's rhythm and protect Messi from further physical attention. It was a theme of the first half with Argentina often flying intio challenges and altercations if their captain was fouled.

Despite the combative nature, referee Ismail Elfath did not bring out a card in the first 35 minutes of the contest. The Moroccan-American's appointment had ignited a storm and his officiating hasn't helped. His first booking went to Anderson after another fould on Messi. Later, Lisandro Martinez also got himself in the book for a challenge on Morgan Rogers.