Just a year ago, Jude Bellingham's place in the England squad was up in the air. Now he is being talked about as having the potential to be one of football's "greatest of all time". The Real Madrid man was left out of Thomas Tuchel's Three Lions squad in October 2025 and his place at the World Cup was called into question, with the German head coach saying Bellingham wouldn't get star treatment. But Bellingham did of course make the squad for the World Cup and was arguably his team's standout performer, finishing as England's top scorer with seven goals as they reached the semi-finals and finished third.
The 23-year-old was instrumental in Rijeka, scoring as well as registering a hat-trick of assists. He even ended the match wearing the captain's armband as England inflicted the heaviest defeat in Croatia's history. "Bellingham can go on to be one of the greatest players of all time," former Manchester United and Republic of Ireland midfielder Roy Keane said on ITV after the game. "At this moment in time, he is an amazing footballer. The package – his running power, his delivery, his goal threat."
Bellingham, recently voted England's player of the year for the second year in a row, is now "nailed on as the 10" for the future, former England defender Matt Upson told BBC Radio 5 Live. Keane added: "He has been fantastic in possession, but what he does out of possession lifts all these other players."
Tuchel was asked by BBC Sport if Bellingham had gone to another level. "Yes, at the moment it seems like it, and you always need to," Tuchel said. "It's like you can never stand still. You have to develop and you have to push for the next level, otherwise other teams will catch up."
Source: BBC Sport Football · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing