Jude Bellingham has already established himself as one of England’s most important players despite still being in his early 20s.
Since making his debut as a teenager in 2020, he has become the heartbeat of England’s midfield, combining technical ability, athleticism, leadership, and a knack for delivering in crucial moments.
Bellingham is praised for his outstanding ball-carrying ability and intelligent movement between midfield and attack. Unlike many attacking midfielders, he influences every phase of the game, making him one of the most complete midfielders of his generation.
The 2022 World Cup in Qatar was where Bellingham truly announced himself on the international stage. He scored his first England goal in the 6–2 win over Iran. He also assisted Jordan Henderson against Senegal in the round of 16 and was widely regarded as one of the tournament’s best midfielders despite being only 19.
He added to his already impressive resume two years later. His bicycle kick against Slovakia at Euro 2024 kept England in the tournament, and his Real Madrid career has been filled with individual moments of brilliance in the most important games.
Pressure has never been an issue for Jude Bellingham. At every early stage of his career, with every challenge that he faced, he strode straight through it with his chest out and his chin up. His early successes appear to have been unavoidable, exponential in nature.
As if this was a player who was somehow free of the normal constraints of a football career, with unwavering confidence and the skills and athleticism to win on the field. And in that light, Bellingham arrives in the United States as a genuine star. This is his second World Cup and, at age 23, his fifth major international tournament.
He has a long history at the world’s most prestigious club. He is one of the best players on a team with a plausible chance of triumph.
So, in a tournament where Lionel Messi is once again demonstrating the value of an extraordinary talent among other good but not always great players, Bellingham has the potential to be England’s answer to the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner.
Obviously, there is no comparison between the two men’s football abilities, but Bellingham can have the same impact on this England team as Messi does for Argentina.
All of this pressure has one consequence: expectation. People will expect Bellingham to do what only he can do: create moments of individualistic magic that turn games on their heads.
Bellingham had surgery on a long-standing shoulder problem in July, which kept him out for the first few weeks of the season. He regained his rhythm, but then sustained a hamstring injury in February. In the league he only has four goals and four assists, nothing like the numbers that he posted in his first two years in Spain.
And in a team that has lost its midfield, its unity, its identity, indeed its whole sense of purpose, Bellingham is not the only one who has looked a bit lost. But what really matters right now is England. And this has not been an easy season for Bellingham either under Thomas Tuchel.
He missed the September camp to recover from shoulder surgery. Fans believe he has the potential to become one of England’s greatest-ever midfielders.
If he continues on his current trajectory, he could challenge England’s appearance records and lead the national team for many years to come.
