Until the 60th minute of the match against Panama in the last round of Group L, England still could not score. At that time, they were temporarily ranked 2nd in this group. If they did not beat Panama, the "Three Lions" would face countless difficulties in the next rounds when falling into an unfavorable bracket.
That development reminded fans of EURO 2016. 10 years ago, England only had 4 points after the first 2 matches. Captain Roy Hodgson decided to change 6 players in the starting lineup in the 3rd match against Slovakia with the hope of creating a breakthrough. The final result, the "Three Lions" played poorly in the 0-0 draw. They met Iceland 1 week later in the quarter-finals and disaster occurred.
On a day when people with great explosive power like Bukayo Saka were almost helpless, Jude Bellingham shone to untangle the trouble for England at the most difficult time. Bellingham's close-range left-footed tap-in made the entire crowded defense of Panama stand rooted to the spot.
Three minutes later, Bellingham received a pass from a teammate to rush down to the left corner. He made a feint with his right foot to deceive the opponent and crossed with his left foot. Fidel Escobar on Panama's side fell into a passive position, watching Bellingham put the ball in as if placed for Harry Kane to rush forward and head the ball into the opponent's net.
1 goal and 1 assist from Bellingham were enough for England to close the match against Panama with a 2-0 victory.
Although Thomas Tuchel has talked a lot about the importance of breaking the system of well-organized defenses. However, the entire playing style of the England team in the first half was just passing the ball along the wing to Marcus Rashford and hoping that the Man United star could create a breakthrough. Harry Kane in the 2nd consecutive match had difficulty finding space to create influence. With Declan Rice being rested, England team lost balance and was crushed by Panama.
After the deadlocked draw against Ghana, the "Three Lions" fans understood that they needed a player who knew how to shine with individual talent, before thinking that the team could implement some sophisticated tactic. In the match against Ghana, Bellingham started but left disappointment and was substituted. This time, when the dangerous situation was right in front of him, the 22-year-old midfielder spoke up at the right time to prove his value.
Remember at EURO 2024, England was led 1-0 by Slovakia in the 94th minute and faced the risk of stopping. It was Jude Bellingham who had a superb bicycle kick to help the "Three Lions" come to life, thereby reaching the final. Over the past two years, from big playgrounds to qualifying campaigns or Nations League, although still in the age of a young player, the Real Madrid star has proven that his ability has reached an irreplaceable level in the national team.
Before the tournament, Thomas Tuchel was questioned about letting Jude Bellingham or Morgan Rogers start in the "number 10" position right behind Harry Kane. The answer was almost clear when Bellingham started in this position for 2/3 of the matches. In the last match against Panama, both Bellingham and Rogers started, but this option was not good and Tuchel may reconsider.
If you follow the England team from the beginning of the 2026 World Cup campaign until now, very few people will consider them the top candidates for the championship when looking at France or Argentina. There are still draws, conceded goals and constant deadlock. The task of stars like Jude Bellingham is not simple. But when they have good morale after the match against Panama, Bellingham is expected to be the biggest support for the "Three Lions" in times like this.
