Coach Thomas Tuchel affirmed that the greatest strength of the England team lies in the spirit of teamwork. After the victory over Mexico in the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup, the German strategist emphasized: "If there is a team that possesses heart and belief, it is this team.
However, besides team spirit, England also possesses Jude Bellingham who is playing the best football since wearing the national team jersey.
The 23-year-old midfielder continues to affirm his irreplaceable role under Tuchel. The outstanding performance against Mexico helped him win the Man of the Match award, while also showing the increasing influence of the Real Madrid star in the "Three Lions" playing style.
After 5 matches at the 2026 World Cup, Bellingham has scored 4 goals, exceeding his total number of goals in the previous two major tournaments combined. He is currently only behind Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland and Harry Kane in the Golden Boot race.
Notably, Bellingham is the midfielder with the most goals in the tournament. Three of his four goals opened the scoring for England, including matches against Croatia, Panama and Mexico, contributing to helping Tuchel's team control the game from the beginning.
According to former legend Gary Neville, Bellingham is the most outstanding player of the England team. "Harry Kane was very good, but Bellingham is at a different level. I cannot give him any more praise" - Neville commented.
Bellingham's explosion came from Tuchel's tactical adjustments. Compared to the 2022 World Cup or EURO 2024, this midfielder was pushed up to play higher, often taking on the number 10 role instead of falling deep as before.
Being able to operate near the opponent's goal helps Bellingham significantly increase the number of shooting opportunities, the number of touches in the penalty area as well as the expected goal index (xG). He is no longer confined to a fixed area but is allowed to move freely on the entire attacking front.
Behind Bellingham is always the support of Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson, helping him focus more on creative and scoring tasks. This also creates an extremely effective connection with captain Harry Kane.
The two stars of the England team continuously found each other in combinations. Against Mexico, Kane attracted players to open space for Bellingham to head in the opening goal. After that, Kane himself assisted Bellingham to complete a double. Against Panama, Bellingham also passed the ball for Kane to score.
Up to this point, Bellingham and Kane have directly contributed to 10 of England's total 11 goals at the 2026 World Cup.
Not only outstanding in scoring goals, Bellingham also impresses with his enormous intensity of activity. According to FIFA data, he is in the group of players who perform the most sprints in the tournament and leads the World Cup in the number of times he actively moves to receive the ball from teammates.
Intelligent mobility, abundant physical strength and freedom in tactical operation help Bellingham appear in almost every area on the field. He both participates in defense, organizes his playing style, and is always present at the right time in the penalty area to make a difference.
Tuchel once thought that Bellingham was born to shine in big matches. What the 23-year-old midfielder showed at the 2026 World Cup is proving that the assessment is completely grounded.
If they continue to maintain their current form, Bellingham will be England's biggest hope in the journey to conquer their first world championship since 1966.
