FIFA World Cup:’Hey Jude’ rings out as Bellingham leads England past Panama
Bellingham delivered the breakthrough England desperately needed on Saturday, scoring a goal and heading Harry Kane to victory that secured top spot in Group L and a potentially smoother path to the knockout rounds of the tournament.
After a difficult first hour in which England dominated possession but had little creation, Bellingham broke the deadlock in the 62nd minute, forcing Bukayo Saka’s corner home from close range despite being tightly marked.
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Five minutes later he headed in a cross for Kane, who rose above his own line to score a historic 11th World Cup goal for England.
The joyful moments after the match were in stark contrast to the difficult season he had at Real Madrid, full of injury problems and inconsistency.
He has also had a complicated relationship with England fans and has faced criticism from some sections of social media. The 22-year-old responded to criticism after he also scored in England’s 4-2 win over Croatia in the opening game, saying: “On a personal note, it was nice to put some of the noise aside and show my country and my team-mates how determined I was to help us win games.”
On Saturday England spent an increasingly tense hour in search of an opening and found little reward.
Panama’s dogged resistance was beginning to test the supporters’ patience and pose uncomfortable questions about Britain’s cutting-edge technology before Bellingham could provide his answer.
“The first job was accomplished,” he said. “We came here to do it in sections and we got through the pre-match games well and did the first job – we got through the group and won.
“We know what level we are at and what we want to achieve and that’s what we did in the second half. We have to try to improve every day and it’s up to us to do that.”
England manager Tuchel praised Bellingham’s contribution.
“He performed well, I’m happy he’s in this form and everyone did what they had to do and Jude was a big part of that,” Tuchel said.
Bellingham was happy to make Kane England’s top scorer in the World Cup with 11 goals.
“He continues to improve his level and it’s incredible,” Bellingham said. “It’s everything he deserves. You see the effort he puts in as captain and how he leads us. His quality speaks for itself, he is the best.”
Bellingham also became the youngest European player to participate in four consecutive major tournaments (World Cups and European Championships) in this event.
