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Jude Bellingham made no effort to conceal his contempt for the gleaming silver Player of the Match award presented to him following England's scoreless draw with Ghana last Tuesday.
"I didn't earn it, honestly," the Real Madrid star shrugged. "It probably should have gone to one of their players who defended so brilliantly." He unquestionably merited every bit of individual recognition that came his way on Saturday.
As England ground their way toward yet another frustrating deadlock with Panama in the gloomy conditions of a wet New Jersey afternoon, Bellingham's relentless determination finally paid off. It was the 22-year-old sensation who propelled the Three Lions ahead from a corner before sealing a 2–0 win that secured top spot in the group by teeing up Harry Kane's header.
This was the latest instance of Bellingham commanding the spotlight, radiating main character energy and an alpha presence embodied by that trademark celebration of puffed chest and arms spread wide. Yet that doesn't reflect his true character at all. Bellingham shares the same problem as Thomas Tuchel's England side: both are persistently misread. That common ground may actually help them bring out the best in each other.
Bellingham a Victim of His Own Success
The portrayal of Bellingham, especially in the English press, is as baseless as it is disappointingly predictable. Like so many gifted young Black players before him, any hint of self-assurance is branded as "arrogance." Former England and Arsenal forward Ian Wright captured this contradiction brilliantly on the Stick to Football podcast last year.
"He goes out there, performs, does what he does. It's too uppity for these people," Wright observed. "They all love N'Golo Kanté. He's a humble Black man, gets on with his work. But if you get a [Paul] Pogba or a Bellingham, and you carry that kind of energy, that doesn't sit well with people. Someone like Jude frightens these people because of his ability and the inspiration he can provide."
Jordan Henderson reflected earlier this summer that he "finds it hard to understand" the criticism directed at his likable compatriot. "If you ask any player in the squad, they'll tell you what a great teammate he is, how hard he works in training," the experienced midfielder said. "We all know what he's capable of, and how much we all love him within the camp, and I suppose that's what matters most."
Once again, Bellingham demonstrated exactly what he was capable of when his side needed it most.
Jorge Gutiérrez had both arms wrapped around England's No. 10, who thrust out a left leg while still locked in the hold. Only after the ball had settled in the bottom corner did Bellingham break free from Gutiérrez's grip to celebrate.
Not satisfied with a one-goal lead, Bellingham surged into the gaps opening up in Panama's backline with the kind of movement no one else in red had bothered — or thought — to make in the preceding hour. A drop of the shoulder carved out enough room to pick out Kane, who couldn't pass up such an obvious chance.
With the three points secured, Tuchel withdrew his match-winner at the next stoppage to keep him fresh for the round of 32. It was telling that the team quickly slipped back into the tepid football that had characterized the first 62 minutes of another labored encounter.
This England Is Built for a Different Challenge
Bellingham is as misunderstood as this England squad is collectively. Tuchel did not assemble a side designed to break down deep defenses for two key reasons: that is not the challenge that will determine the biggest World Cup knockout ties, and there is arguably no group of players on earth guaranteed to thrive in those circumstances.
Even the great Pep Guardiola is wary of such opposition. During a visit to a Bayern Munich supporters' club while managing the German club, the legendary Catalan tactician made clear just how difficult it is to dismantle a 5-4-1 setup. "That's not easy," he stressed in that intense, hushed tone he sometimes slips into.
"It doesn't matter what happened 75 years ago or in the next 50 years. If the opposition team has their players like that, it is never easy."
If anyone needed convincing, England spent three hours demonstrating how difficult it is to unlock a resolute defense. Across two matches against Ghana and Panama while the scores were level, the Three Lions completed 996 passes but managed only six shots on target before Bellingham's volleyed finish.
Tuchel has instead assembled a team deliberately constructed to leverage the strengths of the Premier League once the knockout rounds begin.
Tuchel's Plan Now Under Scrutiny
"The tournament begins again now," Tuchel declared after the match. No side in the knockout phase will be as overtly defensive as England's first two opponents, which should give this talented group a genuine opportunity to show what they're made of.
When asked about his preferred style of play at the unveiling of his first England squad, Tuchel had a clear vision. "I think it needs to reflect the Premier League," he said with a smile. "The Premier League is a very physical and demanding competition. I think we should be brave enough to play like an England squad. We should not try to copy other nations or other styles — it should reflect the values of the country with the strongest league in the world."
As Arsenal have found, even the finest Premier League sides struggle against deep-lying defenses. Where they excel, however, is against overseas opposition that lacks the inherent physicality and work rate to match their English counterparts. Whether Tuchel can inspire such performances in the American heat at the end of a grueling club season remains to be seen, but this is the standard by which England should be measured.
SI answers is our AI answer engine trained on human-created content.
No one can be faulted for failing to pick a lock with a sledgehammer. But if you can't break it down with that tool, then any criticism would be entirely warranted.
Tuchel is certainly self-assured. "We have the team spirit, the fight and the belief," he declared. "We will step up. The bigger the games get, the bigger we will get."