Jude Bellingham cements his place as one of England’s greatest – The Conventional Playmaker
Jude Bellingham’s galloping run, followed by outwitting Maxence Lacroix, and finishing tidily in the penalty-area to boot, capped off an absolute goal fest, as England beat France 6-4, to earn third place in the 2026 World Cup. Bellingham offered a superb 11 minute cameo, completing 5 dribbles, as well as scoring. This was also Bellingham’s 7th goal of the tournament, making him the highest goal scorer against midfielders in a single tournament, and the first Englishman to score at least 7 goals in a single tournament.
England’s hopes of immortalising themselves once again came crashing down as Argentina capitalised on England’s decision to drop deep after going a goal ahead in a cagey semi-final. But England got as far as they did, largely down to the efforts of Bellingham, where he established himself as one of the very best to play for England.
Nobody can doubt how good Bellingham is at football. From the group, though to the heart of the knockout rounds, Bellingham excelled. A goal to regain the lead against Croatia, offering a more balanced game from midfield against Panama, and scoring twice against Mexico, before repeating that feat against Norway. There are few as good at arriving late in the penalty-area unmarked, and also being able to run games from midfield as he did for England this summer.
All of Bellingham’s goals were scored inside the penalty-area. Be that after driving inside with the ball, getting onto the end of a cross, or anticipating a rebound. All of the goals were scored close to goal, yet still showed off an array of Bellingham’s talents.
Bellingham’s form for Real Madrid was called into question before the tournament, with his goal tally at the World Cup greater than the 6 goals he scored in La Liga in the season past. But a low tally for what is expected of Bellingham is partly down to his role being more varied at the club than when he first joined. In 2023/24 Bellingham played as a box crashing midfielder-come-forward, scoring 23 goals. But since Kylian Mbappe’s transfer to Real, Bellingham has often taking up a deeper midfield role. Real have been set up to maximise Mbappe’s output, rather than Bellingham’s as done before, whereas England’s system often maximised Bellingham’s opportunities to score goals.
“Put Harry and Jude together, and they will do the rest.” Is what head coach Thomas Tuchel said of his two star players. Bellingham’s 7 goals was nearly matched by Kane’s 6 goals, meaning of England’s 20 goals, those two scored 13 – more than half. Yet it was as much about Kane supplying Bellingham, rather than the other way around. Bellingham would make runs ahead of Kane, but also combine with Kane in closer proximity, as shown by Bellingham’s second goal against Mexico.
Soon after the game was resumed, having taken the lead, England applied a high press, seeing Anthony Gordon, and Elliott Anderson closing down, with the latter winning the ball back. Gordon passed to Bellingham, before Bellingham exchanged with Kane, who cut the ball across the six-yard box, finding Bellingham to finish from close range.
The goals are only one facet of Bellingham’s game, as he is a well rounded midfielder. Bellingham may have started as a no.10, with qualities that you would expect of one. But he is perhaps not a no.10 in the purest sense, like Spain’s Dani Olmo, Colombia’s Juan Quintero, or even France’s Michael Olise; players who excel at occupying the ball in between the lines, play one-twos on the edge of the box, and play deft final balls, either exploiting a gap, or meeting designated targets. The purest option for the no.10 spot in England’s system would have been Morgan Rogers, or Eberechi Eze. Instead, Bellingham dovetailed with Kane, and also does things you would expect of a box-to-box midfielder.
His movement attracts pressure, creates space for others too in deeper positions, and his ball carrying was a useful tool to bring the ball out of congested space. Drag backs, and croquetas, added to long strides and strength to hold off challenges, and you have a useful tool in bringing the ball forward.
Put in different roles in matches amidst midfield alterations, Bellingham even started in a deeper role alongside Anderson against Panama.
Not only was Bellingham bringing the ball forward, and active in the final-third, he won the ball back in midifeld, and cleared it from danger in his own penalty-area too. He managed to have an impact at both ends of the pitch. As England went down to 10 men against Mexico, it was necessary to adopt a more defensive shape, with Bellingham helping keep England compact in midfield as part of a 5-3-1.
Playing Bellingham deeper more often could have been a solution to Declan Rice not being at full match fitness, but much of England’s attacking was not only about wide combinations, but, also, as previously mentioned, maximising Bellingham’s output, where he could make trademark late runs into the penalty-area, to meet crosses from the flanks.
We have reached a point where we can say Bellingham’s performances for England over the past four years have outshone many other midfielders, especially in majors tournaments. Of Bellingham’s 13 goals for England, 10 have come in major tournaments; 1 in World Cup 2022, 2 in Euro 2024, and 7 in World Cup 2026. Bellingham has played his part in qualifying for tournaments, but the added pressure seems to take him up a further notch.
Bellingham has eclipsed what the likes of Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Paul Scholes, and so on, put forward in similar moments. This is not to begrudge those mentioned, or to say Bellingham is a better player, rather to highlight Bellingham’s displays for England.
Further context would do some good.
Paul Scholes was a brilliant passer, but his form for England was inconsistent, and eventually found himself on the left of midfield during Euro 2004.
Gerrard missed the 2002 World Cup through injury, though he, and Lampard were later tried and tested as a midfield painting in a 4-4-2, with it never properly suiting either player, it seemed both would have been better off playing further forward. Both could have been accompanied by a third midfielder more often; one who could sit in front of the back four more often, be that a ball player who could read the game, like Michael Carrick, or a more energetic option, like Owen Hargreaves. But even when that was tried out in 2006, it offered mixed results.
Lampard was eventually partnered by Gareth Barry with Gerrard being moved wide left, and whilst it was effective in qualifying for the 2010 World Cup, England just about qualified for the Round of 16, before being hammered 4-1 by Germany. Surely Gerrard would have preferred to play in behind the centre-forward as he did for Liverpool at the time. Wayne Rooney was playing in behind Emile Heskey during Fabio Capello’s time in charge, but he was playing up front for Manchester United, and enjoyed his highest scoring season to date.
Bellingham has not only performed well in big matches for his country, but also played in a side that sought to play him where he can be the fulcrum of the team, in not one, but two tournaments. Bellingham played a bit-part role in Euro 2020, and played alongside Rice, and Jordan Henderson in a midfield two, or three, during the 2022 World Cup. But it has been the last two major tournaments where Bellingham has been put under the spotlight, expected to lead England’s attack alongside Kane. It has brought the best out of him.
When you go back even further, Bellingham’s displays are up there with those of Paul Gascoigne, David Platt, Glenn Hoddle, and Bryan Robson. Bellingham is yet to win a trophy with England, unlike Bobby Charlton, however, who was England’s talisman in 1966. It could be argued, in which case, that Bellingham is the best midfielder to play for England since then.
What has to be said though, is that though the damning semi-final defeat to Argentina was the result of no one player in particular, Bellingham was exhausted as the match went on, and should have been replaced, as should have Kane. That could have been for attack-minded changes that would have offered England an out-ball on the break, or even encouraged England not to sit deep, and go for a second goal in more proactive fashion.
Having pressed high in the first-half, England conceded possession after going a goal ahead, and never looked like scoring again. Compounded by defensive-minded substitutes, and Argentina making attack-minded changes, the match went swayed Argentina’s way.
Bellingham enjoyed a great tournament but there was only so much he could do in a very cagey affair, where the centre of the pitch was congested. He covered ground, but had less opportunities to carry the ball forward.
The match provided an unfortunate outcome for England, but the tournament itself offered confirmation that going forward, this is a team spearheaded by Bellingham. Kane may play the next Euros two years from now, but Bellingham will be in his prime years. There is room to discuss how the dynamic will change when Kane retires. Bellingham could stay as the nominal no.10, with a new centre-forward, or a more conventional no.10 could be embedded into the starting XI, with Bellingham as the focal point up front, if there is no seamless replacement in the centre-forward department.
Nevertheless, it is only fitting Bellingham be the fulcrum of the side, now fully established as one of England’s greatest.
Data via Whoscored, and FBref
