​Jude Bellingham has carried England from the altitude of Mexico City to the scorching heat and humidity of Miami, appearing on a personal mission to end a 60-year wait for a World Cup triumph. At times, the World Cup seems to become one player’s destiny, propelling a team toward soccer’s ultimate prize with unstoppable momentum. It’s easy to picture Diego Maradona guiding Argentina in 1986, Ronaldo guiding Brazil to redemption in Yokohama in 2002, or Lionel Messi finally lifting his own Holy Grail with Argentina in Doha in 2022. Yet, despite Bellingham stepping up for England with a brace that overcame Norway in the Miami furnace, he still has a long road to travel before he can be placed in the same breath as those legendary figures.
The path ahead is formidable. In this tournament, Messi and Argentina await in Atlanta for a semi-final after beating Switzerland, and beyond them lies the looming possibility that Spain, or a brilliant France spearheaded by Kylian Mbappe, could stand between England and the long-awaited title. The barriers are daunting, and the idea that England’s drought since 1966 could finally end remains a daunting challenge. Still, there are moments when a world-class talisman can bend a World Cup to his will, and Bellingham is beginning to shape such a narrative after a sequence of magnificent performances.
Even if it would be premature to place him among Pele or Maradona, the latest exploits in Mexico City and Miami offer a flattering comparison. Bellingham’s two goals in successive knockout games at a single World Cup make him the first player to achieve that feat since Maradona in 1986, underscoring his growing impact on the world stage. At 23, he is the second-youngest player to reach this milestone, behind Pelé, who did so at 17 in 1958 when Brazil claimed the title in Sweden. His display against Norway earned praise from Erling Haaland, the Norway striker and former Dortmund teammate, further underscoring the respect he’s earning across the sport.
Beyond the goals, Bellingham’s influence is quantified in his statistics from the Norway win: five shots—the most by any England player—along with leading touches in the opposition box (six), most duels won (eight), and most fouls won (four). He continues to deliver crucial England strikes, embodying the kind of leadership England fans have long hoped to see from their midfield talisman. His public persona has also become part of the team’s identity. Notably, he once amplified a moment of pressure on the England camp by telling fans “Who Else?” after Euro 2024, a remark that came after a remarkable overhead-kick equaliser extended England’s hopes in the competition.
As England chase the dream that has persisted for decades, Bellingham’s role grows clearer: a player who can lift the team’s level when it matters most, translating extraordinary talent into tangible outcomes at the World Cup’s most challenging moments. The road to glory is still long and uncertain, with monumental hurdles ahead. Yet his ongoing run of influential performances—paired with his goal-scoring prowess and all-round contribution—suggests he could be central to England’s narrative if they continue to rise to the occasion when it matters most.