Argentine defender Barco is set to join Chelsea, but is expected to face hostility in the Premier League after his provocation of Bellingham during the World Cup semi-final.
But this fiery redhead is no stranger to escaping controversy. Bellingham was furious with Barco during that fiery World Cup semi-final and slapped him afterward. The England star was unhappy with Barco's overly exaggerated celebrations. Barco and the Argentine bench celebrated wildly after Lautaro Martinez scored the winning goal.
The 22-year-old Barco also has his compatriot, the equally provocative Enzo Fernandez, to face the test alongside him. Chelsea's asking price for Enzo is a staggering £120 million, which has yet to be met. Enzo famously covered his ears with his hands in front of England fans while celebrating a goal against Tuchel's team that resulted in an equalizer.
Regardless of his fate with his national team teammates, Barco will pay the price for Lautaro Martinez's behavior after scoring the winning goal in stoppage time. The former Brighton player, who was not on the pitch at the time, rushed onto the field and appeared to taunt the England player. After the final whistle, Barco said or did something that further enraged Bellingham, leading to the latter slapping him, though the England star escaped punishment.
During the Olympic qualifiers in February 2024, Barco also engaged in misconduct. After being penalized for a foul, he threw the ball at the head of opponent Rafael Uscategi. Teammate Bryant Ortega retaliated in kind, resulting in both players being sent off. Argentina initially feared Barco would be suspended for the remaining two qualifiers, but he ultimately only missed one match and returned to action in the crucial game against Brazil. Playing as a left-back, he provided his third assist of the tournament, helping his team score the only goal and securing Argentina's place in the 2024 Paris Olympics. In stoppage time, he also received a yellow card for kicking the ball away as Brazil prepared to take a free kick.
All of this happened after Barco's transfer from Boca Juniors to Brighton in January 2024 for less than £8 million, and before he had even made an appearance for the Seagulls. This transatlantic transfer wasn't the first time Barco had put in extra effort for his career. Boca Juniors recognized his talent early on, but his home in 25 May was far from the youth academy. Barco revealed: "When I first started playing, my mother and father would drive 100 kilometers every day to take me to training. Later, we moved closer to the stadium."
At Boca Juniors—where Diego Maradona and many Argentine legends rose to fame—Barco transitioned from winger to left-back. He made his debut at 16 and at 19 helped the team reach the 2023 Copa Libertadores final. In the round of 16 against Nacional of Uruguay, he scored the fifth and decisive penalty in the shootout. In the final against Fluminense of Brazil, Barco started, but Boca lost 1-2 after extra time.
Manchester City and other clubs had shown interest in Barco, but Brighton ultimately announced his signing, following in the footsteps of compatriots McAllister and Ecuadorian midfielder Moises Caicedo to the American Express Stadium. Barco made seven appearances for Brighton for the remainder of the 2023-24 season, including three Premier League starts. The Seagulls then loaned him to Sevilla in La Liga for the 2024-25 season, but he returned early in the year due to limited playing time and injury. Barco and his fiancée, Argentine social media influencer Yaz Jorregui, also experienced a burglary. He subsequently transferred to Strasbourg, where his European journey restarted under current Chelsea manager Liam Rossinier. After recovering from a hamstring injury, he played in all 14 remaining Ligue 1 matches, starting each one.
