Jude Bellingham left his small-town beginnings behind well before rising to stardom with Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid.
Among England’s football talents, Bellingham seems tailor-made for the grand stages of New York, with its dazzling lights offering endless possibilities.
So here’s the headline: Bellingham is once again stepping into the spotlight, taking on the crucial role of England’s hero, a part he brilliantly played during Euro ’24.
During a challenging match against Panama at the sprawling Meadowlands on Saturday, as England risked landing a second-place finish in Group L, it was Bellingham who rose to the occasion.
England fans were visibly anxious after 60 goalless minutes at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. Meanwhile, Thomas Tuchel looked as if he had stepped straight out of Edvard Munch’s iconic painting, The Scream.
‘We lack subtlety, we lack creativity, we lack innovation,’ Gary Neville said on television and he was right.
England lost yet another right back when Jarell Quansah had to be helped off. All the optimism that accompanied England to the USA was disappearing into the miserable, sodden evening.
And then Bellingham did what Bellingham does. He transformed the game.
His energy had never waned anyway, even in the face of England’s uncertainty, but when Bukayo Saka swung a corner over in the 61st minute, Bellingham poked it in. A few minutes later, he set up England’s second for Harry Kane.
Jude Bellingham (pictured with Morgan Rogers) dazzled as England demanded all his creativity and talent to slip past Panama
Harry Kane scored his 11th World Cup goal to become England’s all-time record finals scorer
Bellingham has scored five goals now in major tournaments. This was his second at this World Cup, to go with the individual effort against Croatia in Dallas.
Here at the MetLife, he spared England embarrassment and ensured, with this 2-0 victory, that when they head south for their Round of 32 match, they can go to Atlanta with a dream.
Tuchel made several changes from the team that had laboured to a goalless draw with Ghana earlier in the week.
He utilised Bellingham’s versatility to move him back to play alongside Elliot Anderson and rested Declan Rice, who has been carrying an injury.
Marcus Rashford and Saka, England’s two best wide men, started together for the first time at this tournament. Morgan Rogers was given a deserved chance at number 10.
There is a concern about right back, though. The position has been a point of contention since Tuchel omitted Trent Alexander-Arnold from his squad and now, frankly, it has become a problem.
Reece James is injured, which was predictable, and Tino Livramento has already gone home. Jarell Quansah started against Panama and he is a fine player but against better teams, will it be an area that is targeted?
England were so dominant in the early stages at the MetLife that defensive vulnerability was not a consideration.
Rashford started strongly. He cut in from the left, ignored the pleas of Bellingham to give him the ball, and speared a shot to the near post. Orlando Mosquera got down sharply to push it wide.
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Should England rely so heavily on Jude Bellingham to save them, or is that holding the team back?
At times, Thomas Tuchel cut an incensed figure as the Three Lions struggled to break down their opponents
Panama were not without ambition, though. They broke dangerously after a quarter of an hour, and if Jose Luis Rodriguez had played the ball to his left when he was left one-on-one with Ezri Konsa on the edge of the box, England might have been in trouble. Rodriguez did not see the pass and the danger dissolved.
Just after the hydration break, which reached new levels of absurdity as it was taken in the pouring rain, Panama stretched England again and Rodriguez brought a smart diving save out of Jordan Pickford with a shot he hammered in to the near post.
It was at this point that news came through that Croatia had taken the lead against Ghana. England were second in the group.
England rallied a little. Saka appealed for a penalty after he claimed he was pulled back in the area. The referee ignored him. A minute later, Rashford headed just over from close range. Bellingham tried to set the tone with his relentless energy, but England struggled to respond.
Rashford curled a free kick just wide on the stroke of half time. When the ball rebounded off the advertising hoardings and rippled the back of the net, some of the England fans high in the stadium thought that the ball had gone in.
It was the most encouragement they had had all evening.
Panama came close again ten minutes into the second half.
Anderson lost the ball near the touchline and Rodriguez ran across the face of the box and unleashed a shot that curled just wide.
Harry Kane brought a good save out of Mosquera just before the hour. The clock started to tick down.
England’s right back issue worsened when Quansah had to be helped from the pitch with an injury, but then the man who has made a habit of becoming England’s saviour got in on the act again.
Saka swung over a corner from the left and Bellingham poked out his left foot ahead of his marker and steered a volley into the corner.
Five minutes later, Bellingham raced on to a ball down the left and held it up near the edge of the area. He turned and twisted and made space for a cross. He floated it into the six-yard box where Kane met it and wrong-footed the goalkeeper with a firm header into the roof of the net.
England survived a late scare when Jose Fajardo raced in on goal and hit a shot high past Pickford into the roof of the net, but they were spared by the linesman’s flag.
England breathed a sigh of relief. They were through to the Round of 32 and top of the group.
They had escaped. They had conquered the doubt that had started to wash over them. Bellingham enjoyed the moment. He is top of the list, king of the hill.
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