England’s Jude Bellingham has delivered a body of work at this World Cup that, even by his lofty standards, has been as mesmerising as anything seen in an England shirt at recent major tournaments.
Four goals and an excellent assist for Harry Kane’s goal in the 2-0 win over Panama have had England supporters serenading the 23-year-old throughout the United States.
It seems ludicrous now to think that there was even a debate as to whether Bellingham would feature in England’s World Cup squad at all.
Bellingham made his senior debut for Birmingham City aged 16 years and 38 days in August 2019, breaking club legend Trevor Francis’ record set in 1970 to become the Blues’ youngest ever player.
A Premier League scouting report from that debut acknowledged his “great athleticism, long legs, graceful running and work-rate”, with his technical ability to carry the ball under pressure catching particular attention.
Within a year he had moved to Borussia Dortmund in a deal worth £20.7m, scoring on debut in a 5-0 German Cup win over Duisburg, and Birmingham retired his number 22 shirt in recognition of his impact across just 44 appearances.
Sir Gareth Southgate fast-tracked Bellingham into the senior England squad after just 11 Dortmund appearances, handing him his international debut as a substitute in a 3-0 win over Republic of Ireland in November 2020.
Southgate carefully managed his early steps, restricting him to three substitute appearances at Euro 2020, though by the 2022 World Cup in Qatar he could no longer be held back, with Bellingham’s headed opener in the 6-2 win over Iran marking his first senior international goal.
At Euro 2024, Bellingham arrived as a fully established Real Madrid Galactico who had scored 19 goals in a La Liga and Champions League-winning season, though his iconic overhead kick equaliser against Slovakia in the last 16 was one of the tournament’s defining moments.
His ‘who else’ celebration after that goal showcased oozing self-confidence but provided another example of the ‘main character syndrome’ that Southgate and some players had begun to notice around him.
Questions over his England future intensified under Thomas Tuchel after the new head coach said his mother viewed some of Bellingham’s on-field behaviour as “a bit repulsive”, a comment that did not go down well with those close to the player, though Tuchel later apologised and said he “used the word unintentionally.”
In October, after being named England’s player of the year, Bellingham was left out of Tuchel’s squad entirely, with the manager saying “Jude always deserves to be here” while noting the decision to maintain continuity with the same group.
As recently as June, Tuchel acknowledged Bellingham had “a fight on his hands” to start at the World Cup, pointing to “14 or 15 potential starters” in his squad and the debate over whether Rogers or Bellingham should occupy the number ten role.
Yet from the warm-up matches onward, Bellingham responded emphatically, scoring a brilliant solo goal against Croatia before breaking the deadlock in the crucial final group game against Panama and then netting twice in what has been heralded as one of England’s greatest away victories against Mexico.
Across five matches at this tournament he has claimed three player of the match awards, and in his post-match media duties he has displayed notable maturity, playing down his own role, praising opponents, and even offering one of his awards to the opposing team.
After the ‘who else’ moment of 2024, he has said this time he would rather assist than score, a change in tone that tallies with his on-field performances and increasing adaptability between the ten and eight roles depending on team needs.
His work-rate has been as important as his talent, demonstrated clearly by a goal-saving challenge in the Mexico victory, and he has become a key part of the England leadership group alongside Kane.
With a World Cup quarter-final against Norway on Saturday, Bellingham has every opportunity to add further goals and further cement a resurgence that has made him indispensable to England once more.
