Jude Bellingham walked out of England's latest World Cup win with another strong case for being the first name on the teamsheet. He has 2 goals, 1 assist and 3 man-of-the-match awards in his first 3 World Cup games, and the talk about whether he would even start before the tournament now feels well off the mark.

Bellingham's World Cup impact

After the final whistle, Bellingham summed up the mood in two words: "I better go." He had already done enough on the pitch. Against Panama, he finished with the most key passes, most completed dribbles and most tackles, while also scoring a goal and setting up another across 70 minutes.

The pre-tournament debate was real, with Morgan Rogers competing for the No. 10 role. That was the backdrop when Bellingham was still being discussed as a selection call rather than England's most decisive midfielder.

Kyle Walker put it simply enough, saying: "You need players like Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane to be firing on all cylinders for England to do well at the World Cup." On current form, Bellingham is doing more than firing. He is carrying the control, the running and the final action in the same performances.

The wider England attack

England's latest breakthrough also showed how much of the attack is built around Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice. Bellingham's volley came from a Saka corner, and his second goal was set up by Rice's out-swinging cross.

Saka arrived at the tournament managing an Achilles injury from the late domestic season, then featured as a substitute in England's first 2 matches and pushed for his first World Cup start against Panama. He has 2 assists in 3 World Cup appearances, which gives England another creative route when he is fit enough to be trusted from the start.

That support around Bellingham matters, but it does not explain away what he has done himself. Jude Bellingham has been the tournament's most consistent England presence so far, and the No. 10 debate has been turned on its head by the evidence on the pitch.

The next chance to extend that case comes in England's next World Cup match, with the numbers already pointing in one direction.

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Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 10 outlets. How we work →