The Football Association has moved to clarify a bizarre controversy surrounding Jude Bellingham after doctored footage of his interaction with a mascot on Tuesday night went viral online.
Bellingham starred again for the Three Lions as his side drew 2-2 at Wembley against Belgium, scoring a late equaliser with what was the last kick of the game in England’s final match of the international break.
The Real Madrid star stole the show ahead of kick-off, when he gave his jacket to a mascot in a wheelchair, who had accompanied him on the pitch and looked to be feeling the wrath of the rainy conditions.
But a post on X, the social platform previously known as Twitter, shows reversed footage of the interaction, making it look as though Bellingham took the jacket away from the mascot.
Jude Bellingham shared a heartwarming exchange with a young mascot before England’s friendly against Belgium at Wembley on Tuesday night
The midfielder took off his jacket and gave it to a mascot as the players lined up in the rain
‘Jude Bellingham taking his coat back from the kid in the wheel chair. Outrageous,’ reads the caption on the clip, which has racked up over two million views in less than a day.
The footage is clearly reversed, as it features a steward unnaturally walking backward just out of shot towards the end of the clip.
The user who posted the video appear to acknowledged as much, suggesting he had deliberately done so.
‘Clearly the video is reversed and the post is sarcastic give it a rest,’ the post read.
The FA has since posted a version of the original footage, albeit taken from a different angle, on its official account on X in an attempt to clarify the situation.
Bellingham walked onto the pitch at Wembley with the young mascot, whose wheelchair featured Manchester City’s badge
While the majority of the mascots wore the purple-like shirts that Bellingham and his teammates donned during the game, the England layers walked out onto the pitch in their training jackets.
Bellingham was last in the queue, but noticed the mascot he had come out with looked uncomfortable in the cold Wembley rain.
Bellingham appeared to ask the youngster is he would like his jacket before laying it across him
Bellingham walked out to line up for the national anthems alongside the mascot, who was in a Manchester City-themed wheelchair
He responded by appearing to ask the mascot if he would like his jacket, receiving an nod in response before taking off his coat and laying it across the youngster’s wheelchair.
The mascot beamed a wide smile in response, clearly taken aback by the events of the pre-match rituals.
The likes of John Stones and Phil Foden also gave their jackets to their respective mascots.
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