Hey Jude: Bellingham's Return to England Indispensability
A World Cup performance that, even by the high standards of Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham, has been among the most captivating displays seen in an England shirt during recent major tournaments.
It now seems almost unbelievable that there was once any doubt about whether Bellingham would be included in England's World Cup squad.
Bellingham has emerged as one of the standout players in England's journey to the World Cup quarter-finals, arguably ranking among the tournament's best performers.
With four goals and a notable assist for Harry Kane's strike in the 2-0 victory over Panama, England fans have been enthusiastically celebrating the 23-year-old here in the United States.
Yet, Bellingham appears to be handling the attention with calm composure.
Of course, he is accustomed to such acclaim. It is no surprise that Bellingham occupies his current position; his ascent was anticipated by football insiders when he first appeared on the scene in 2019.
Here, traces Bellingham's remarkable rise.
Bellingham Stunned Scouts from Debut
Bellingham made his debut for his hometown club, Birmingham City, at the age of 16 years and 38 days in August 2019.
He became Birmingham's youngest ever player, breaking the record previously held by club legend Trevor Francis since 1970.
A Premier League scouting report from that match highlighted Bellingham's evident talent, noting his "great athleticism, long legs, graceful running and work-rate."
However, it was his technical ability that truly impressed scouts—his skill in carrying the ball away from pressure, finding space between the lines, or pulling wide.
The report advised an unnamed Premier League club to immediately sign Bellingham, loan him out, and then integrate him into their senior squad within 18 months.
Within a year, Bellingham transferred—not to the Premier League—but to Borussia Dortmund in a deal valued at £20.7 million.
Upon his departure, Birmingham retired Bellingham's number 22 shirt, despite him having made only 44 appearances for the club.
English football was beginning to take notice, and Germany soon realized his potential as well.
Bellingham scored on his Dortmund debut, netting the second goal in a 5-0 German Cup win over Duisburg.
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Fast-Track to Senior International Squad
It was not long before then England manager Sir Gareth Southgate took notice.
Having played only 11 matches for Dortmund and still aged 17, Bellingham was fast-tracked into the senior England squad, making his debut as a late substitute in a 3-0 victory over the Republic of Ireland in November 2020.
The calls for Bellingham to become a regular in Southgate's team grew louder with each impressive performance in Germany's domestic league.
Nevertheless, Southgate limited him to just three substitute appearances at the delayed Euro 2020, where England reached the final.
In hindsight, Southgate managed Bellingham's early international career carefully.
Southgate's assistant, Steve Holland, was reportedly instrumental in guiding Bellingham's transition into the squad, particularly focusing on the defensive aspects of his game.
By the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, however, Southgate and Holland could no longer hold back Bellingham.
Bellingham's headed goal in the 6-2 victory over Iran was his first at senior international level, followed by nine more goals since then.
By Euro 2024, Bellingham had become a key player for England.
The Emergence of the Real Madrid Galáctico
With his strong performances came a confident swagger—an attribute that can divide opinion.
At Euro 2024, Bellingham had been a Real Madrid player for nearly a year—a Galáctico who had scored 19 goals for his La Liga and Champions League-winning club.
Every media outlet at the tournament sought his attention.
Bellingham was allowed to skip certain tournament media duties, particularly with the English press, while simultaneously filming his own multi-part documentary, which raised some eyebrows.
It was also noted that immediately after England's loss to Spain in the Euro 2024 final, Bellingham isolated himself from the rest of the squad.
Nonetheless, his impact on the pitch was undeniable.
His overhead kick equalizer in the dying moments of England's last-16 win over Slovakia was one of the tournament's standout moments.
Bellingham's now-iconic 'who else' celebration displayed his abundant self-confidence but also exemplified the 'main character syndrome' that Southgate and some players had begun to observe.
The Pre-Tournament Selection Questions
Fast-forward to the present: Real Madrid have not won La Liga or the Champions League since 2023. Amid off-field turmoil at the club, Bellingham has struggled to replicate the form and prolific goal-scoring of his stellar first season.
He has also faced injuries, including shoulder surgery that caused him to miss the start of the season.
Questions arose regarding his England career.
Thomas Tuchel, possibly due to English being his second language, sparked media controversy last summer when the new England head coach said his mother found some of Bellingham's on-field behavior "a bit repulsive."
"a bit repulsive"
The remark generated significant headlines and was not well received by those close to Bellingham.
Tuchel later apologized, stating he "used the word unintentionally."
In October, after Bellingham was named England's player of the year, he was omitted from Tuchel's squad.
England had performed well without him in September while he was recovering from injury, and he had played only one game for Real Madrid since returning.
"He is a special player, and for special players there can always be special rules," Tuchel said at the time. "But we decided to keep with the straightforward decision of inviting the same group. Jude always deserves to be here. He wanted to be called up. We had a phone call."
Spanish reports suggested an alternative explanation—that Bellingham himself requested to be left out to focus on his fitness.
Ultimately, it appeared Bellingham was no longer the first-choice selection.
Indeed, in June, Tuchel remarked that Bellingham faced stiff competition to start at the World Cup, citing "14 or 15 potential starters" in his squad.
At that point, Bellingham had appeared in only half of the 14 matches since Tuchel took over in January 2025: four starts and three substitute appearances.
The narrative was: 'Should it be Rogers or Bellingham to start at number 10?'
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Bellingham Has Matured in Front of the World
However, from the World Cup warm-up matches against New Zealand and Costa Rica, Bellingham's performances began to shift positively.
In England's first World Cup game against Croatia, Bellingham scored a remarkable solo goal to put England 3-2 ahead.
Against Panama, when England struggled to break through in the final group game, Bellingham scored the crucial opening goal.
Although substituted in all three group matches, his form remained strong.
In the last 32 match against DR Congo, he played a full, influential game.
Two goals in this iconic victory—hailed as one of England's greatest away wins—cemented his resurgence.
Across five matches, he has earned three player of the match awards.
These accolades require media interviews, where Bellingham has demonstrated maturity and humility, downplaying his individual role while emphasizing the team's work ethic and unity, and praising opponents—even offering one of his player awards to the opposing team.
Following the 'who else' celebration in 2024, this time he expressed a preference for assisting rather than scoring.
His change in tone aligns with his on-field contributions. His work-rate is a driving force alongside his talent—recall his goal-saving challenge against Mexico.
He has been praised for adaptability, particularly in shifting between a number 10 and number 8 role depending on team needs, and is a key member of England's leadership group alongside Kane and others.
The exact details of the situation between Tuchel and Bellingham remain unclear.
Was the issue overblown, or did the German coach assert his leadership over the squad, perhaps managing the 'main character syndrome'?
Regardless, Bellingham has appeared content, performed well, and has been integral to a squad that seems genuinely united.
It is easy to forget, given all he has achieved, that Bellingham is only 23 years old. He has matured under the brightest spotlight.
Bellingham—and Kane—are widely regarded as indispensable superstars of the England team.
With a quarter-final against Norway on Saturday, there may be more goals to further cement his greatness.
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