Bellingham’s El Clásico glory overshadowed by new gesture controversy

October 30, 2025 Oliver Obel

On a charged Sunday evening at the Santiago Bernabéu, Bellingham struck the decisive goal in Madrid’s 2–1 victory, reacting first to an Eder Militao header that dropped inside the six-yard box. Kylian Mbappé had earlier put Los Blancos ahead before his opener was ruled offside, while Fermin López and Marcus Rashford combined to pull Barcelona level.

The win followed Bellingham’s midweek goal against Juventus and helped Madrid strengthen their position at the top of La Liga. But the celebrations quickly turned tense after the final whistle, as tempers flared between Vinícius Jr. and Barcelona’s teenage winger Lamine Yamal amid the roar of a restless Bernabéu crowd.

Moments later, Bellingham appeared to reference the incident on social media — and cameras also captured him turning toward the crowd before briefly grabbing his crotch area and sticking out his tongue, a gesture similar to one that had previously landed him in trouble.

Bellingham smiled but didn’t comment when asked afterward about the incident, leaving reporters guessing whether it was a deliberate act or playful response.

A familiar controversy revisited

During Euro 2024, Bellingham faced a UEFA investigation after celebrating a late winner against Slovakia with a gesture toward his crotch while glancing at the opposition bench. UEFA imposed a £30,000 fine and a one-match suspension, though the ban was suspended on probation for one year.

At the time, Bellingham defended the move, explaining on social media: “An inside joke gesture towards some close friends who were at the game. Nothing but respect for how that Slovakia team played tonight.”

Now, according to Mail Sport, Spanish officials are reviewing footage from Sunday’s El Clasico, which appears to show Bellingham repeating a similar motion — this time with his tongue out — as Madrid players celebrated their dramatic win.

Local outlet Marca also reported that La Liga’s disciplinary committee may request additional camera angles before deciding on possible action.

Decision rests with Spanish FA

The next step lies with La Liga and Spain’s Football Federation, who must decide whether Bellingham’s gesture crosses the line or simply falls under emotional celebration. Past cases have produced mixed outcomes.

In 2019, Gareth Bale escaped sanction after making a “corte de mangas” gesture toward Atlético Madrid fans — a precedent that could work in Bellingham’s favor.

Still, scrutiny is likely to be high given his prior UEFA sanction. Any disciplinary ruling would come at a busy point in Madrid’s season: they host Villarreal this weekend before traveling to England for a Champions League showdown with Liverpool.

If Bellingham is found to have breached conduct rules, Madrid could be forced to manage a short-term suspension for one of their most in-form players — an unwelcome distraction during a crucial stretch of fixtures. For now, Madrid will hope the focus quickly shifts back to his performances on the pitch rather than his gestures off it.

You can see a picture of the contorversial gesture here (opens new tab)

Sources: Mail Sport, UEFA, Reuters, Marca