Argentina fan swarmed by England supporters in central London rescued by police
As fans abandoned pubs and bars following England’s World Cup semi-final defeat, police had to intervene to save a lone Argentina supporter.
Footage published on social media showed dozens of police officers surrounding the fan wearing the Argentina jersey and escorting him to a minibus next to hundreds of people while insulting him.
Many members of the crowd recorded the incident on their mobile phones in central London.
A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: “As the crowd dispersed after the match, officers on duty at Piccadilly Circus became aware of a lone Argentina fan surrounded by England fans.
“They intervened before he could come to any harm, forming a bubble around him and escorting him to the safety of a nearby police van.”
Elsewhere in central London, officers arrested seven people following England’s exit from the World Cup; One was on suspicion of driving improperly due to drink or drugs and causing serious injury by dangerous driving.
The Met said that in the remaining arrests, four people were detained, one for assaulting an emergency worker and the other for a racist attack.
England’s major semi-final reached a peak audience of 24 million on the BBC on Wednesday evening.
England boosted their hopes of reaching the men’s World Cup final for the first time since 1966 with Anthony Gordon’s 55th-minute goal in Atlanta.
However, the team came under pressure from Argentina’s wave of attacks; Enzo Fernandez equalized with five minutes left and Lautaro Martinez scored the winner in injury time.
England He can’t pack his bags and go home yet because he has to return to Miami a week after the team’s quarterfinal win against Norway at Hard Rock Stadium.
A third-place play-off against France is expected and Saturday’s encounter will be a tight one for everyone involved.
It was the highest-rated live television event of the year, averaging 22.1 million viewers on BBC1 and BBC iPlayer, and the biggest live television audience since 2021, when England lost to Italy in the Euro 2020 final.
The World Cup final will be broadcast live on BBC and ITV at 20:00 on Sunday evening.
