Jude Bellingham was already outgrowing the ‘promising youngster’ label when, four years ago, the then 19-year-old scored the opening goal of England’s finals campaign in Qatar, in a 6-2 win over IR Iran.
What started in Qatar continued with key goals against Serbia and Slovakia at UEFA EURO 2024 but has now been truly underscored here in North America. On a night to remember in Mexico City, Bellingham, now 23, stood up and embraced the responsibility of “finding solutions”, to quote England coach Thomas Tuchel, as he drove the Three Lions to .
Tuchel had expected Mexico to come flying out of the blocks and press relentlessly in the opening exchanges. If his side could keep their cool and slow the tempo at a hostile stadium, he felt confident they would gradually turn the tide in their favour. With England weathering the storm, Bellingham took centre stage. In the space of just 98 seconds, he struck twice, timing perfectly his appearance in front of goal to finish chances created by Bukayo Saka and Harry Kane. In doing so, he brought home goalkeeper Raul Rangel’s clean-sheet streak at the competition to an end – and ensured a vital cushion ahead of the co-hosts' later onslaught.
“To get this win, It’s the best night of my England career so far for sure,” said Bellingham afterwards amid the celebrations at Mexico City Stadium, where Wonderwall rang out around the ground following England’s 3-2 triumph.
On one of the biggest stages and in one of the most demanding settings imaginable, the Real Madrid midfielder had vindicated Tuchel’s faith that his players’ experience of high-intensity matches would enable them to cope with all the thrills and spills that would ensue. A match that ended with Mexico laying siege to ten-man England’s goal had just about everything, as Bellingham reflected afterwards.
“It’s tough to gather everything together, the goals, the penalty against, the penalty for, the red card,” he said. “It was a chaotic game but credit to Mexico, they were a different class. We never underestimated them for one minute and they were exactly as good as we thought they would be. But this team showed character tonight and I’m proud.”
With his two goals, the Birmingham City youth product increased his tally at the tournament to four goals, drawing him level with 1966 final hero Geoff Hurst on five World Cup goals overall – one more than England heroes of past times, Michael Owen and Bobby Charlton. And along with his two goals, Bellingham played a decisive role defensively too, reading the danger to beat Cesar Montes to the ball when an equalising goal looked inevitable late in the first half. The 23-year-old’s leadership was evident at the finish too as he took the time to console Mexico’s players and, before leaving the pitch, swapped shirts with Gilberto Mora at the request of the tournament’s youngest player.
After a match with an epic feel, Bellingham referenced history as he stressed that England had “unfinished business” dating back to 1986. He hopes this victory on the very ground where Diego Maradona wrote one of the most painful chapters in the Three Lions’ football history, can propel this England to greater heights. “I hope this win instils that belief in the squad,” he said.
Refusing to take all the plaudits, the Michelob Ultra Superior Player of the match talked up his side's character and togetherness as he added: “This win is far bigger than me, it’s the players who came on, the ones who started, and the supporters who travelled and spent their hard-earned money. This is a team performance and a whole country’s performance.”
That country looked on from afar as England dug so very deep to get through their toughest test of this World Cup, surviving the pressure of a stadium firmly behind the hosts, the challenge of the altitude, and playing for more than 40 minutes with ten men after the dismissal of Jarell Quansah. Tuchel had asked for solutions and how his players responded, with Bellingham leading the way.
Next stop is Miami and a against a Norway side spearheaded by his old Borussia Dortmund colleague Erling Haaland. It will be some occasion, as his message to the watching fans back at home underlined. “Kids, stay off school; parents, don't go to work, enjoy the day," he said. "Be with your friends, go down the pub again if you can, and enjoy it because these nights don't come along often." They certainly don't.
Sources: FIFA Official
