Jude Bellingham outgrew his small-town beginnings long before his rise at Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid. Yet if any England player seems built for New York’s glare, its theatre and its sense of possibility, it is surely him.
So let the headlines roll: Bellingham is again embracing the saviour’s part he claimed so memorably at Euro ’24. With England labouring against Panama in the Meadowlands on Saturday and the threat of finishing second in Group L beginning to feel real, he was the player who seized the moment.
After an hour at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, with the match still goalless, anxiety was written across the faces of England supporters. Thomas Tuchel, meanwhile, again looked like a man trapped inside Edvard Munch’s The Scream.
“We lack subtlety, we lack creativity, we lack innovation,” Gary Neville observed on television, and it was hard to argue. England’s problems deepened when Jarell Quansah became the latest right back to depart injured, needing assistance to leave the pitch. The optimism that had followed the squad to the United States was being washed away by a bleak, rain-soaked evening.
Then Bellingham intervened in the way he so often does. He altered the entire mood of the contest. His drive had never dipped, even as England struggled for fluency, and when Bukayo Saka delivered a corner in the 61st minute, Bellingham prodded it home. Soon after, he created England’s second for Harry Kane.
Bellingham now has five goals at major tournaments, including two at this World Cup after his solo strike against Croatia in Dallas. At MetLife, he rescued England from a deeply awkward night and, with this 2-0 win, made sure they will travel south to Atlanta for their Round of 32 tie with renewed belief.
Jude Bellingham shone as England leaned on his invention and quality to get past Panama
Harry Kane netted his 11th World Cup goal, making him England’s all-time leading scorer at the finals
Tuchel made several changes from the team that had laboured to a goalless draw with Ghana earlier in the week. He utilised Jude 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 Bukayo 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. Marcus 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.
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 Jose Luis 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.
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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.
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Should England rely so heavily on Jude Bellingham to save them, or is that holding the team back?
Thomas Tuchel cut an at-times incensed figure as the Three Lions struggled to break down their opponents
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 Jose Luis 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 Jordan 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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