What now? The Englishwoman supporting Argentina for love

Just a month ago, while on holiday, Kelci-Rose Bowers celebrated her boyfriend's call-up to the 2026 World Cup. Little did she know she'd soon face a dilemma on the eve of the Argentina-England clash.

However, her choice seems clear: for the 2026 World Cup semi-final showdown, the Englishwoman will be rooting for the South American squad. The 22-year-old Kelci-Rose describes her position as "controversial" but justifies her decision – her boyfriend, Tottenham defender Marcos Senesi, will be representing Argentina.

Senesi received a last-minute call-up from Argentina's national coach, Lionel Scaloni, forcing the player to cut short his Ibiza vacation. The newly signed Tottenham defender was brought in to replace the injured Leonardo Balerdi from Marseille.

Bowers, a footballer and model herself, explained her decision in a TikTok post.

"Crazy situation, I didn't think this would actually happen," she began. "It's insane that England is playing Argentina in the semi-final; that hasn't happened in ages. This situation is very unusual for me, of course, being English and with England reaching the semi-final, which is an incredible achievement, and I'm super proud of my country."

Despite her national pride, support for her partner takes precedence – and she has been at every match wearing an Argentina jersey. "Of course, my boyfriend plays for Argentina, so in any relationship, depending on what your partner does, you're going to support them. For me, being able to come to the World Cup and travel has been fantastic. Embracing Argentina's culture and wearing the Argentina shirt is something I've been doing, and I don't think there's anything wrong with that," she defended.

"Now that England is playing Argentina, there's some controversy about what I'm going to do. Look, I'm going to the game, I'm going to enjoy it, respect both teams, and cheer for my partner. I'm just there to enjoy it, guys."

News of the call-up arrived while the couple was vacationing in Ibiza, a moment Bowers shared on social media. In the video, the couple euphorically celebrates the news. The defender has already made his World Cup debut, playing the full 90 minutes in the 3-1 victory over Jordan in the group stage.

Bowers and Senesi's relationship reportedly began in the summer of 2024 when both played for Bournemouth – she for the women's team and he for the men's. Bowers, whose contract with the club ended this summer, is also a model and has seen a surge in Instagram followers recently, jumping from 150,000 to over 335,000.