He stands there with his legs apart and his arms outstretched, casting a triumphant glance at the fans. Then he calls out something, his lip movements matching the question: “Who else?” Jude Bellingham, who else?
A question to which the English national team seemed to have given the answer in the previous 90 plus five minutes: nobody. The Three Lions were 1-0 down against Slovakia and were almost eliminated from the tournament. Before Bellingham scored, with an overhead kick, the most technically complicated type of goal shot in football. In extra time, England made it to the quarter-finals thanks to a header from Harry Kane. Undeserved, some say. Lucky, in any case, everyone agrees.
And that’s why, many felt, a little humility would be appropriate. Maybe even regret for the poor performance, not only in this knockout game, but also in the disappointing group phase before that. Not so with Bellingham.
There is his gesture when he doesn’t get the ball. His waving when his teammates make bad passes. His theatrical rolling on the ground after he is fouled. His equally theatrical lamentations, falling to his knees when the game is stopped after one of his fouls. Everything about it says: I deserve better. I don’t make mistakes. I am the star.
ZDF football expert Christoph Kramer was annoyed by this: “He has to be careful not to start acting up at such a young age.” One day before the match against Slovakia, Jude Bellingham celebrated his 21st birthday.
And now he could even get into trouble with UEFA because of his attitude. They are now taking a closer look at a gesture:
After his goal, Bellingham put his hand in front of his crotch as if he wanted to demonstrate the size of his primary sexual organs. And he did this near the Slovakian bench. Bellingham later defended himself on the internet platform X, saying that the gesture was an inside joke. He only had respect for the Slovakian team’s performance. He did not explain the joke – and that leaves the uneasy feeling that someone is rather out of touch, even for a world-class player.
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Bellingham was a crowd favorite during his time at BVB and said the right things in interviews. The media and colleagues, including Mats Hummels and Toni Kroos, attested to his particular maturity.
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At just 16 years old, Bellingham was the youngest professional in the club’s history to play for Birmingham City. Top international clubs soon wanted him. He decided to join Borussia Dortmund in 2020, quickly becoming a regular player there and often making a decisive impact in matches. Last season he moved to Spain for a transfer fee of more than 100 million euros. Since then, he has worn the number 5 at Real Madrid, like football legend Zinédine Zidane once did. His debut season went brilliantly, Real won the championship and the Champions League. Bellingham scored 16 goals for Real in the league alone.
This young and yet so successful career shows that Jude Bellingham doesn’t just think he’s a star player, he is one. Airs and graces are part of it, and to some extent make him a star. Because his self-confidence is his quality. You don’t have to like that. But deciding to do the all-deciding overhead kick in the fifth minute of injury time – that takes conviction.
In an interview after his dream goal, he said: “I know what I can deliver in moments like this, regardless of what others say. I’ve done it for Madrid this year, I’ve done it for England before.” Maintaining this belief in your own ability when every move is closely watched and commented on is difficult.
An Adidas advert has made him out to be the heir to the throne of Great Britain. Jude Bellingham, as the game against Slovakia showed, will have to pull it all out for England if need be. Although he has had an intensive season with 42 competitive matches for Real Madrid and should actually be on holiday now.
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Bellingham is struggling with this. “The pressure is high,” he said at the press conference after the victory over Slovakia. “The fans expect a lot.” He seems upset, the expectations and criticism from his own country seem to be getting to him. He takes some things “personally,” he says. “It feels like it’s piling up.”
The arrogance, the “Who else?” could also be a form of defiance. You put me in this position, I’m filling it. I want recognition for that. That could be criticized as immature, and it’s certainly not the best way to deal with the pressure and attention. But it’s probably the only way that works for Bellingham at the moment.
He stands there with his legs apart and his arms outstretched, casting a triumphant glance at the fans. Then he calls out something, his lip movements matching the question: “Who else?” Jude Bellingham, who else?
A question to which the English national team seemed to have given the answer in the previous 90 plus five minutes: nobody. The Three Lions were 1-0 down against Slovakia and were almost eliminated from the tournament. Before Bellingham scored, with an overhead kick, the most technically complicated type of goal shot in football. In extra time, England made it to the quarter-finals thanks to a header from Harry Kane. Undeserved, some say. Lucky, in any case, everyone agrees.
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