"If any team has heart and belief, then it's this team," Thomas Tuchel told Sky Sports after England's win over Mexico. The bigger point from this tournament is that England now have more than belief. They have a clear attacking focal point in Jude Bellingham, whose higher role and freedom to roam have turned him into the side's most dangerous midfielder and, at times, its main source of threat.

Gary Neville went even further, saying Bellingham has "carried England" over the last five matches. That is slightly too neat, because Harry Kane has been central as well, but the basic point holds. England's attack looks different because Bellingham is starting higher and getting into scoring positions far more often.

Tuchel's role change for Bellingham

Bellingham has four goals in five World Cup games, and three of those goals put England in front against Croatia, Panama and Mexico. For a midfielder, that is a serious return. It also fits what England are asking from him now.

Tuchel has pushed Bellingham higher up the pitch and given him freedom to roam. Instead of receiving deeper and building play from safer zones, he is arriving closer to Kane, breaking beyond him and appearing in the spaces defenders hate tracking. Kane described it well to Sky Sports: "His effort, non-stop running, tackling, tracking back - that's the type of player we want in our team. Jude is a fantastic runner with the ball and without the ball, making runs in behind from deep. He's so hard to track, he's strong and physical."

The chance numbers back up the change in role. Bellingham is averaging 2.67 scoring chances per 90 at this World Cup. At Euro 2024, that figure was 0.8. At the 2022 World Cup, it was 1.08. This is not just a good run in front of goal, it is a different workload.

His involvement is constant too. Bellingham has made 347 pass offers across the tournament, which speaks to how much of England's play runs through him even when he is not taking the final shot. The best attacking midfielders do both jobs. They stay available and still arrive where matches are decided.

That is why the current version of Bellingham feels more complete than the one seen earlier in tournament football with Borussia Dortmund, Real Madrid or England. He is still doing the heavy running and defensive work Kane mentioned, but the starting point is more aggressive and the payoff has been obvious.

Kane's partnership and the Mexico evidence

England's strongest attacking pattern is no longer Kane dropping in while everyone else tries to catch up with him. Kane and Bellingham are working in tandem, and that has changed the balance of the side.

The pair account for 10 of England's 11 goals at the tournament so far. Bellingham put it simply: "I think I've built a good relationship with Harry over the last four or five years". You can see it in the spacing. Kane occupies defenders, links play and pulls markers around. Bellingham then attacks the gaps around him, often from deeper positions that are harder to read.

That was the clearest feature of Mexico vs England, the 2-3 game at the Azteca Stadium. Some reporting around that night was loose enough to create confusion over the scoreline, but the verified result was England's 3-2 win over Mexico. Even with Jarell Quansah sent off and England reduced to 10 men, Bellingham still looked like the player most capable of turning broken phases into chances.

Michael Owen's warning should not be brushed aside. He said: "If against France, Spain or Argentina, England play like they did versus Mexico, we'll get our backsides kicked". That criticism is fair on the team performance. England still gave up too much control, and belief alone will not carry them through elite opposition.

But the Bellingham part of the story is stronger than the team-wide doubts. Wayne Rooney said: "I just felt it was the right game to give him a 10 out of 10", and while perfect scores are mostly TV language, the broader verdict makes sense. England were not flawless against Mexico. Bellingham was still the game's defining attacker.

England's attack now runs through Bellingham

England finished the group stage with seven points, and the mood around the squad has clearly improved. Alan Shearer even said: "We might actually be able to win this thing". That belief is easier to buy when England's best attacker is not isolated.

For years, the concern with England has been whether too much lands on Kane. This tournament has shifted some of that weight. Bellingham has become the runner beyond him, the extra scorer and the midfielder who keeps showing for the ball. Kane remains crucial, but he is no longer carrying the whole attack on his own.

There is a broader tournament context here as well. Bellingham has been the highest-scoring midfielder at the competition, and England's structure now gives him repeated access to the most valuable spaces on the pitch. That makes them less predictable and much harder to defend than a side built around one striker waiting for service.

The next question is whether England can reproduce the same attacking edge against stronger opponents. On the evidence so far, Tuchel's clearest success has been making Bellingham the centrepiece without diminishing Kane. England go into the next round with a side built on belief, but also with a midfielder who has four goals in five World Cup games.

FAQ

Why is Jude Bellingham playing so well for England at the 2026 World Cup?

England have pushed Bellingham higher up the pitch and given him freedom to roam. That role has turned him into the side's main attacking midfielder, with four goals in five World Cup games, 347 pass offers and 2.67 scoring chances per 90.

How are Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane combining for England?

England's attack is no longer built around Kane in isolation. Bellingham and Kane are operating close together and account for 10 of England's 11 goals at the tournament so far. Bellingham said he has built a good relationship with Kane over the last four or five years.

Did England beat Mexico 3-2 or 4-2 at the World Cup?

The verified scoreline was England's 3-2 win over Mexico at the Azteca Stadium. Some source phrasing elsewhere created confusion, but the match record used here is Mexico 2-3 England.

Is Jude Bellingham more advanced for England than he was at previous tournaments?

Yes. His scoring-chance output is much higher now. Bellingham is averaging 2.67 scoring chances per 90 at this World Cup, compared with 0.8 at Euro 2024 and 1.08 at the 2022 World Cup.

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