London: Police rescue Argentina fan from large crowd in Piccadilly Circus

By Callum Ashford — 16 July 2026 — 3 min read

Incidents in London and Atlanta

In London, a young fan wearing an Argentina shirt with “Messi” on the back was escorted by police into a van in Piccadilly Circus. Officers formed a perimeter around the fan to clear a path through a large crowd. Onlookers reportedly jeered the fan, and an object appeared to be thrown in their direction. Police successfully cleared a path for the van to depart. No further incidents were reported, and there is no indication of wrongdoing by the fan or others pictured. The Metropolitan Police often separate opposing football fans as a precautionary measure.

Meanwhile, in Atlanta, footage shared online showed Argentina fans involved in altercations, reportedly throwing items such as bottles and furniture. This occurred hours before the World Cup semi-final match against England. The incident involved two groups of Argentina supporters, with social media footage showing bins being thrown amidst physical altercations. Local police intervened to separate the groups, which subsequently dispersed. It is not known if any arrests were made in connection with this incident.

England’s World Cup semi-final defeat

The match itself saw England‘s hopes of ending a 60-year wait for a World Cup title dashed. Supporters had been optimistic about their team’s chances against the defending champions, despite concerns about Lionel Messi. The mood was initially joyous after Anthony Gordon scored for England ten minutes into the second half, following a goalless first 45 minutes.

However, Enzo Fernandez equalised for Argentina in the 85th minute, and Lautaro Martinez secured the lead for Argentina in the 92nd minute. This turn of events led to disappointment among England fans, with some at Boxpark in Wembley reportedly in tears after the final whistle. Twin brothers Luke and Vee Moore, who attended the north London venue, expressed their disappointment, criticising manager Thomas Tuchel‘s defensive substitutions.

Vee Moore stated that England “fumbled it” and described the Argentina team as “weak,” suggesting England did not play a better team and were too defensive after taking the lead. Luke Moore echoed this sentiment, believing the team should have made more proactive substitutions earlier in the game, mentioning players like Rashford, Madueke, and Saka. He characterised Tuchel as “too negative” and reactive, preferring a more proactive manager.

Team selections and upcoming final

For the semi-final, Thomas Tuchel made three changes to the England squad. Morgan Rogers started in place of Noni Madueke on the right side of the attack, with full-backs Reece James and Djed Spence also joining the starting lineup. John Stones and Marc Guehi maintained their central defensive partnership, while Ezri Konsa and Nico O’Reilly were not included in the starting eleven. Declan Rice started in midfield despite having been affected by an illness picked up in Mexico.

Argentina‘s starting lineup included five players from the Premier League: goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez from Villa, defender Cristian Romero from Tottenham, Lisandro Martinez from Manchester United, midfielder Enzo Fernandez from Chelsea, and Alexis Mac Allister from Liverpool. Following their victory, Argentina is now scheduled to play against Spain in the World Cup final on Sunday.

Source: standard.co.uk