David Beckham gets Trump-like welcome at England vs Argentina World Cup clash

Joseph McBrideWed, July 15, 2026 at 7:06 PM UTC

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David Beckham was booed by Argentina fans before their game against England -Credit:Paul ELLIS / AFP via Getty Images

England soccer legend David Beckham was given a Donald Trump-like welcome by the Argentina fans at Atlanta Stadium, with tensions running high ahead of the FIFA World Cup semifinal.

The two nations have a dated rivalry both on and off the field, and prepared to face off for the first time in 21 years. With such a long wait to meet again, the hostility was even more amped than usual, and Beckham understood what it may feel like to be Trump, who is often booed at sporting occasions.

Argentina fans were seen jeering England fans outside the stadium, and even turned on the players when they started warming up. Then Beckham was shown on the big screen, prompting more animosity as the Argentina fans outnumbered England’s supporters, after an awkward incident involving the two team buses heading to the game.

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Beckham was shown on the screen as Sweet Carolina played, a song that’s become a favorite among England fans. Argentina fans were already booing by this point, but got even louder when Beckham’s face appeared.

The England soccer legend started laughing as he heard the noise, but he was no stranger to backlash during his career. Despite now being an English icon, Beckham did once have his own fans turn on him.

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Coincidentally, the incident occurred when Beckham was sent off for kicking out at Diego Simeone during a game against Argentina at the 1998 World Cup.

The game was tied 2-2 when Beckham was sent off, and the game ended up going to penalties. 10-man England lost 4-3, but the majority of fans pinned the blame on Beckham.

He ended up winning back over the England fans, helped by his crucial free kick that allowed them to qualify for the 2002 World Cup.

Argentina and England also have a history away from soccer, most notably the Falklands War in the 1980s. England head coach Thomas Tuchel was asked about the rivalry ahead of Wednesday’s grudge match.

Beckham and wife Victoria also attended the quarterfinal against Norway -Credit:Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images

“I know some of the players, I coached some of the players,” he said. “I can sense it. You can see it.

“They have this kind of edge. You can sense it when they’re going a goal down, when matches are tight.

“They’re almost the same group as four years ago. You can see the cohesion, you can see the sacrifice that they put into it. They believe in their style. And their style is a very emotional style. It was in Qatar and it is now.

“And, of course, history … they are also fuelled by that. They are fuelled by history, it means a lot to them. So this is what we basically expect, and what we are up against. But we are also emotional, we have the grit, we have the mentality that it takes to go up against it. And we are ready for it.”

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Source: “AOL Sports”