Jude Bellingham Propels England to 2026 World Cup Semifinals
MIAMI — Jude Bellingham stood in the stifling humidity of Miami with his arms stretched aloft as his second goal put England 2-1 up against Norway in extra time on Saturday.
If anyone was going to be England’s savior it was going to be Bellingham. Again.
“Enough said, he does it every single match,” said England boss Thomas Tuchel when asked about Bellingham after the game. “World class.”
For the fourth time in six games at this World Cup he was the difference for England as they edged past Norway to reach the 2026 World Cup semifinals. In the lead up to this World Cup Thomas Tuchel challenged Bellingham publicly on several occasions. Looks like it worked. He has now scored six goals.
“He’s brilliant. His mentality is what puts him on that level,” England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford smiled. “He pops up at times every game. Big blocks, you saw in the last game against Mexico that last-ditch tackle from a set-piece was as good as a goal. We know the quality everyone has up top and Jude getting rewarded. He’s been top level. Long may it continue.”
Bellingham feels football. Players like Bellingham are football. Football is decided by brave players willing to make the difference like Bellingham.
No metric can measure his importance to England. But six goals in six World Cup games helps.
“Just class,” England defender Dan Burn told Pro Soccer Talk when asked about the belief having Bellingham gives them. “When you’ve got someone like Jude in the team who can create goals out of nothing, he does a lot of work that goes unseen. Runs himself into the ground. When you’ve got people like him and Harry Kane up front you know you are always in the game.”
“Hey Jude” was the song of choice for England’s fans this week and it will be heard long into then muggy Miami night. David Beckham was even singing it after the game.
All week long England’s fans have lauded his display in the last 16 win at Mexico. England’s fans spoke about Bellingham and Harry Kane being the difference for England at this tournament. On Saturday it was Bellingham who stood tall. Again.
Just like he did against Croatia and Panama and Mexico so far at this tournament, Bellingham dragged England through at key moments.
He just never gives up and his drive and spirit typifies this clunky, direct England team.
In the first half Bellingham had his hands on his knees, gasping for air as England’s exertions at altitude at the Azteca last Sunday clearly hit them much harder than anybody else thought.
It was a sluggish, error-strewn display from England in the intense heat. England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford told Pro Soccer Talk after the game that the conditions against Norway were tougher than at the Azteca.
But when England needed him most at the end of the first half Bellingham was of course the player driving into the box to collect a pass from Anthony Gordon, take an exquisite first touch, two more to set up a shot and then smash home to make it 1-1 at a pivotal moment.
With England second best for the majority of the second half, at the start of a grueling extra time period it was of course Bellingham who reacted quickest to prod home a loose ball after Orjan Nyland had spilled Morgan Rogers’ routine shot from distance.
Bellingham even took exception to Tuchel having a pop at England’s performance in his post-match interview and said this when asked about the standards England’s manager sets.
“We’ve tried to create a positive environment and we will continue that into the final four,” Bellingham said. “You’re not going to win every game popping the ball around and making thousands of passes. Sometimes you have win dirty and we’ve done that here tonight.”
Just like Bellingham did against Croatia to put England 3-2 up early in the second half, against Panama to put them 1-0 up and then set up a second five minutes later, and against Mexico as his first half double in two minutes swung the momentum of the game in their favor, he stepped up when England really need it.
“It’s crazy because before the tournament everyone was saying ‘should he [Bellingham] even go?’ with so many players who could play in that number 10 role. And now what he’s done, he’s turned up, he wears his heart on his sleeve, he says what he thinks and the performances he’s put in, without him we wouldn’t be here now,” England fan Colin Todman, who looked equals parts shattered and relieved, said outside the stadium after the game.
“Him and Harry Kane, without the pair of them we wouldn’t be here. I think that makes the difference. There are some good teams but they don’t have a nine and a ten where we do. Because we have world class nine and ten who can find the back of the net, that is what has kept us in this tournament.”
Bellingham is the spirit of this team.
England were awarded a penalty kick in extra time but it was taken away after a VAR review. When that was announced England were deflated. Bellingham was the player swinging his arms in the air to try and jeer on his teammates and the fans. He sensed the moment.
A huge rendition of ‘Hey Jude!’ rang out from the England fans in the second half of extra time after he went down with an injury or probably just tiredness due to the incredible effort he put in.
England’s fans know how important he has been to their story at this World Cup, and how key he will be in the future.
Bellingham was subbed off with nine minutes to go and blew the fans a big kiss as he came off.
The love will be coming right back at him from the whole of England, as their driving force from Birmingham has dragged them to the final four.