English football has never produced a talent quite like Jude Bellingham. He possesses the swagger and explosive energy of a young Wayne Rooney paired with the creative intelligence of Paul Scholes, yet that description barely scratches the surface. Bellingham is a multifaceted player who seems to have every gift. He can operate as a box-to-box midfielder, a centre-forward or an attacking playmaker. He displays the artistry of Glenn Hoddle and the chest-puffed confidence of Paul Gascoigne, combined with the fearless commitment of Bryan Robson, the surging power of Steven Gerrard and, as Mexico witnessed at the Estadio Azteca, the capacity to transform into a world-class defender and rescue his side with a goal-saving tackle.
What else? Bellingham has movie-star charisma, can captivate an audience like David Beckham and, considering his staggering list of accomplishments, doesn’t seem far-fetched when he declares his post-football dream is to portray James Bond.
The 23-year-old inhabits a universe that is difficult for most of us to fully grasp. He broke into Birmingham City’s first team aged 16 and was so exceptional that the club retired his shirt number. He was sensational in his first major tournament appearance for England, finding the net against Iran at the previous World Cup. He has won the European Cup with Real Madrid and, owing to his teenage prodigy status, can create the impression that he possesses maturity well beyond his years.
Perhaps this has led us to place unrealistic demands on him. There are moments in matches when he can exasperate his supporters. He burst onto the scene at Euro 2024, powering in a header against Serbia in England’s opening fixture, but consistent performance levels proved tricky to sustain. The defining intervention, the spectacular “Who else?” overhead kick against Slovakia, arrived at the conclusion of what had otherwise been a disappointing display from Bellingham, who frequently found it difficult to mask his irritation on the field and at times appeared not to be in sync with the team’s other star performers.
But Bellingham was just 20 when that tournament began – his birthday falls on 29 June. He was still a youngster, albeit one with immense potential at his feet. The issue, if it can be called that, is that from an external perspective his personality seemed to contain contradictions. Here was a global superstar who radiated intelligence in conversations with English broadcasters following Madrid’s European fixtures. He came across as perceptive, captivating and capable of sharp tactical insight, yet he also remained somewhat enigmatic. Bellingham keeps his distance from mainstream print journalism, has spent much of his career overseas, and projected an uncompromising image at Euro 2024 whenever he strained too hard to play the saviour or squandered energy disputing decisions with officials.
This evolved into something of a public relations challenge, intensified by Thomas Tuchel’s notorious “repulsive” remark last year. It is possible that some of us misinterpreted Bellingham’s character. For a period I was concerned there was a danger of him becoming a hindrance to England’s progress. On reflection, I formed the wrong impression of Bellingham. While it is accurate that Tuchel aimed to create a leadership structure with Harry Kane and Declan Rice at the heart of England’s dressing room, it was an error to assume that trying to alter Bellingham’s fundamental nature would yield positive results.
The reality is that self-belief is a core component of what makes him distinctive and extraordinary. That does not, however, mean he is a poor individual or a poor colleague. It is not solely Jordan Henderson who describes Bellingham as a terrific young man. Numerous accounts exist from people with no vested interest who speak of how wonderful he is when encountering a star-struck young supporter.
Jude Bellingham player profile
Yet there are occasions when you witness Bellingham battling to contain that ferocious competitive drive. He has been a driving force at this World Cup, registering four goals in five appearances, but he nearly lost his composure when England trailed 1-0 to the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the round of 32. Bellingham does not really practise quiet endurance. Part of what makes him compelling is the subtlety. We are presented with a fierce patriot who somehow manages to feel almost un-English in his visible desperation to triumph, in how much adversity ignites his passion and in how much he wants the world to recognise that he is unquestionably the central figure.
Observe Bellingham and you will see an individual with absolutely no desire to act as if he is anything less than a virtuoso. Attempt to find a sporting parallel and the figure who springs most readily to mind is Novak Djokovic, another competitor who can beam and win over an audience yet also morph into a theatrical antagonist or become a fearsome, relentless force when faced with an unsupportive crowd. You are backing the opposition? That’s unfortunate, because I am going to overcome him.
That Djokovic-like quality was apparent in the way Bellingham savoured stepping into the hostile environment of the Azteca when England met Mexico in the last 16 on Sunday. He sprinted to the corner and stood with his arms spread wide after scoring the first of his two goals. He welcomed the crowd’s hostility because it elevated his performance. This was sheer presence; this was Bellingham making it crystal clear to everyone that he was not going to let this match slip away.
Bellingham was colossal in both attack and defence against Mexico. Throughout his ascent, parallels with the tennis prodigy have been noticeable; the young athlete competing in what is essentially a solo pursuit and compelled to handle the weight of expectation alone. For England, the difficulty has been channelling that inclination towards individualism, the urge to be the decisive figure, and turning it into a potent asset within a collective framework. Tuchel has discovered the solution. Following a somewhat strained beginning to their connection, he has provided Bellingham with clear direction. He has recognised this is an exceptional ability. He has located his primary playmaker.
How absurd the pre-tournament speculation that Bellingham might not warrant a starting place appears now. He has been in devastating form since the opening match, when he ignited the comeback against Croatia with a brilliant individual goal at the beginning of the second half, and was in combative, all-encompassing mode against Mexico.
There were the goals – the perfectly timed run to nod in the first from a Bukayo Saka delivery, the smooth exchange with Kane for the second – but there was also the indomitable resistance. There was the valiant goal-line clearance to deny César Montes an equaliser right on half-time. There were flashes of breathtaking technical quality and numerous tireless, surging runs as England clung on with 10 men.
This is not a lone performer. Bellingham contributes everything for the collective. He has made crucial interventions on several occasions – there were vital last-gasp challenges against both Croatia and Ghana – and has been a unifying, energising presence, epitomised by him offering Djed Spence words of encouragement following the often-criticised full-back’s effective substitute appearance against Mexico.
We are witnessing Bellingham’s transformation into one of England’s guiding figures. He is still developing and will not always make the correct decisions. There was a comical episode when Bellingham surrendered possession against Mexico and reacted like an infant, thumping the ground in theatrical frustration, but that stemmed from his belief that he was about to score another spectacular goal. It comes with the territory. There is no one quite so utterly fascinating in an England jersey. Anticipate another riveting spectacle against Norway on Saturday.
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