Argentina put FIFA's World Cup rules to the test against England after a foul on Lionel Messi prompted a group of players to surround the referee at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
The World Cup semi-final briefly became less about the challenge and more about who was allowed to complain about it after its "Only the Captain" rule was tested.
The incident happened in the 37th minute after Messi used quick footwork to get past Djed Spence and Harry Kane and drove toward the England defense. It comes as a lip reader decoded Thomas Tuchel's furious outburst at World Cup officials.
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Elliot Anderson made a desperate tackle and brought down Argentina's captain, giving Argentina a dangerous free kick and earning himself a yellow card. The decision was straightforward, and even the match commentators on FOX said there were "no complaints" from Anderson after his late foul.
The way players surrounded the referee brought up questions about FIFA's rules. Only team captains are allowed to approach the referee to discuss decisions. Any other player who does so should receive a yellow card.
Messi was wearing the captain's armband for Argentina, while Kane wore it for England, making them the two players clearly entitled to address the official.
Messi and Kylian Mbappe are tied in the race for the World Cup Golden Boot with eight goals, while Kane and Bellingham trail the leaders with six.
After the foul on Messi, multiple Argentina players surrounded the referee, and Kane joined the discussion. Anderson remained close, while Marc Guehi, Anthony Gordon, Declan Rice, and Jude Bellingham also moved in.
Nicolas Tagliafico raised his hand while standing behind the referee while standing behind him and pointed to the sky to signal a request for a review. Enzo Fernandez was also among the Argentina players near the official as the group crowded around.
The referee intervened to break up an argument involving Anderson, Gordon, Lisandro Martinez, and Cristian Romero. Leandro Paredes appeared to push Guehi as tensions rose, but the camera angles did not show what happened next.
Romero stood with his back to the cameras in front of the referee, making it unclear if he was speaking to the official. Alexis Mac Allister pointed and appeared to address the referee, though he could have been talking to Kane.