How Jude Bellingham went from being disrespected by Thomas Tuchel to England's World Cup hero

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John Cross Chief Football Writer

09:27, 12 Jul 2026Updated 10:08, 12 Jul 2026

This has never been about tough love, proving people wrong or setting the record straight. Instead, it is simply Jude Bellingham showing that he is one of the best footballers in the world.

His latest heroics were against Norway when he dug deep, scored twice and single-handedly dragged England into the World Cup semi-finals. He is the reason why England have made it this far.

It was another brilliant performance from a stylish, classy and supremely talented player who stands tall in every sense. Majestic, elegant and beautiful. What a joy to watch him play.

Bellingham has been Englands standout performer in this World Cup as he has won the Man of the Match award in four of his six of his games. That is some achievement.

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[Jude Bellingham is England's Superman and is leading charge in World Cup dream]

OPINION

Bellingham also has six goals, has stepped up when England needed him most, and his connection with the fans is something we should all cherish. The way Bellingham speaks about the England fans is brilliant.

To hear him talk about them - particularly after the game in Mexico - was one of my highlights of the World Cup. If you have ever paid to go to a game, if you have ever travelled to a game you will appreciate what he said when he thanked them, talked about the cost, the difficulty of getting there and their unwavering support.

It was brilliant. It also showed he has not let all of this go to his head.

This is a player who is not just a superstar on the pitch but he is also a down-to-Earth, humble and grounded individual who has clearly been brought up brilliantly by his family. Bellingham is only 23 but is mature way beyond his years.

He was the prodigious talent at Birmingham City who, at just 16 years and 38 days old, broke into their first-team. Ask Birmingham fans what they think of him. This is a player who also blew everyone away in the dressing room with his maturity, class and determination.

It was obvious he was going to the very top. So few players are bold enough or brave enough to push themselves to go abroad. Hhis one took himself out of the spotlight and comfort zone to join Borussia Dortmund where he quickly became a superstar marked for greatness.

Is Jude Bellingham the player of the tournament so far? Have your say in the comments section.

[Jude Bellingham of England is seen after his team defeat Norway 1-2 AET during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Quarter Final match between Norway and England at Miami Stadium]

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Jude Bellingham fired England into the World Cup semi-finals(Image: Getty Images)

Dont listen to all the old former players and managers who jumped on the bandwagon by saying they nearly got him to sign for that club or this one. He knew his own mind, where he wanted to go and to be bold enough to join Real Madrid takes something special.

They love him in Madrid. They love him a top player, lovely personality who is so respectful. Hes also a heart throb, incredibly good-looking but its on the pitch where he really shines. But it is against this backdrop, it is despite his determination and success, that some people doubted Bellingham.

Lets be clear here: Thomas Tuchel was one of them. The England boss did not have him for some of the World Cup qualifying campaign, liked the teams togetherness and allowed himself to talk in such a way that it made it sound Bellingham was the outsider.

That was wrong. It was also disrespectful and drove a further wedge on the back of Tuchels comments in a radio interview about his own mother finding some of his on-pitch antics repulsive and intimidating his own team-mates.

Anyone watching this summers World Cup can quickly see that Bellingham is the epitome of a team player. He works so hard for the team, he stands up for his teammates and he is pushing himself to the limit for England.

It is so wrong to pin his performances on Tuchels man-management as if it was some brilliant carrot and the stick technique. What utter nonsense. That would be disrespectful to Bellinghams brilliance and drive.

[Thomas Tuchel, Manager of England, speaks with Jude Bellingham]

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Thomas Tuchel left Jude Bellingham out of his squad in October(Image: Getty)

What you are seeing now is a player who is at the top of his game. He is the ultimate mentality monster. He is the player who took himself out of his comfort zone to play abroad, then join arguably the biggest club in the world and then take the World Cup by storm.

Bellingham is just being himself at this World Cup. It is his mentality, mindset and drive which sets him apart from the rest. That does not come from anyone but Bellingham. Anyone who tells you its about tough love does not have a clue what they are talking about.

The bigger reason for the here and now is that Bellingham is, as Tuchel described it, in a sweet spot of form because he is fresh after a season in which he missed a chunk through injury and is peaking just at the right time.

If England win the World Cup then he deserves to win the Golden Ball as the best player at the tournament. In 2018, Luka Modric led Croatia to the final where they lost but h still got the Golden Ball. You cant tell me he deserved it more than Bellingham.

[MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA - JULY 11: Jude Bellingham #10 of England scores his team's second goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Quarter Final match between Norway and England at Miami Stadium on July 11, 2026 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images)]

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Jude Bellingham was there when England needed him(Image: Getty Images)

He is truly one of the best players in the world. Even his spat after the Norway game was brilliant. It was ITVs brilliant post-match interviewer, Gabriel Clarke, who had a spiky exchange with Tuchel after the England manager was critical of the teams performance.

Clarke asked whether that was down to mentality, Tuchel did not like that and it got spiky. But then Clarke put Tuchels remarks to Bellingham who defended his team, the performance and also his teammates. That is about being part of a team. A leader.

We cannot talk about wanting our players to talk freely - and then criticise them for having a view. There was a genuine misunderstanding there but actually Tuchel seemed to quite like it. It made for good TV.

Yet again, Bellingham answered the questions put to him - particularly when talking to Skys excellent Rob Dorsett - when he said no one should underestimate how tough the game was, the heat and the climate. Before finishing with a wink.

[MIAMI GARDENS, FL - JULY 11: England midfielder Jude Bellingham (10) celebrates after his overtime goal with England forward Harry Kane (9) during the FIFA World Cup Quarter-Final between Norway and England on Saturday, July 11, 2026 at Miami Stadium in Miami Gardens, FL (Photo by Peter Joneleit/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)]

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Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham have scored 12 of England's 13 goals(Image: Peter Joneleit/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Yes, there have been issues with the media. If a newspaper runs a back page headline saying he should not be at the World Cup, it must be pretty hard to swallow.

But actually, hes done TV interviews, post-match (that is a requirement of Man of the Match) and hes been entertaining on the radio. That is where he sent shivers down my spine when talking about fans.

We salute you, Jude. A brilliant one-off. He has genuinely got the ability and personality to be Englands greatest-ever player. He is owning this World Cup for England.

If he lifts the trophy in New Jersey on July 19, then it will be because of him and one of the best run of games by any England player in history. He is a national treasure and we should cherish him.

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