Jude Bellingham produced a performance of scoring and creating in Rijeka on Saturday, registering a hat-trick of assists and a goal as England dismantled Croatia 7-0 in the Nations League. He finished the match wearing the captain’s armband, and the result stands as the heaviest defeat in Croatia’s history.
The display marked a striking reversal from a year ago, when Bellingham’s place in the England squad was up in the air. The Real Madrid midfielder was left out of Thomas Tuchel’s squad in October 2025, and his place at the World Cup was called into question, with the head coach saying Bellingham would not receive star treatment. He went on to make the squad and was arguably England’s standout performer at the tournament, finishing as the team’s top scorer with seven goals as they reached the semi-finals and finished third.
Speaking on ITV after the Croatia game, former Manchester United and Republic of Ireland midfielder Roy Keane said: “Bellingham can go on to be one of the greatest players of all time. At this moment in time, he is an amazing footballer. The package – his running power, his delivery, his goal threat. The way he is progressing as a player, I still think there is a lot more to come from him.”
Keane added that Bellingham’s contribution without the ball is what elevates those around him. “If you have a player that good in your team, who is amazing in possession and he’s playing for Real Madrid and doing brilliant things, but his work rate off the ball… that will just inspire other players. He is a huge leader for them,” he said.
Former England defender Matt Upson, speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, said Bellingham is now “nailed on as the 10” for the future. Bellingham was recently voted England’s player of the year for the second year in a row, and Tuchel has started him ahead of Morgan Rogers during and after the World Cup.
England’s front four shared the credit for the dismantling of the Croatian backline. Record goalscorer Harry Kane scored twice, as did Bukayo Saka, while Anthony Gordon scored and assisted. Kane moved to 89 goals for his country and can equal Peter Shilton’s all-time England men’s appearance record on Tuesday against the Czech Republic at Wembley. When the 33-year-old was rested with 20 minutes remaining, it was Bellingham who took the armband, underlining his importance as a leader within the squad.
Bellingham was directly involved in more than two goals in an England game for the first time, and became the first player to record three assists in a match for the Three Lions since Trent Alexander-Arnold against San Marino in November 2021. Former England striker Ian Wright was struck by his work in front of goal. “When Bellingham is on the pitch, he is always driving forward and going again and again,” Wright said. “He was involved in everything. His athleticism, his technical ability, his intensity. He never lets up, the way he gets in the box, he is always in there unmarked. He is always in there.”
Asked by BBC Sport whether Bellingham had gone to another level, Tuchel said: “Yes, at the moment it seems like it, and you always need to. It’s like you can never stand still. You have to develop and you have to push for the next level, otherwise other teams will catch up.” Tuchel described the performance as a way to “move on” from the disappointment of England’s World Cup semi-final loss to Argentina, and said he had “adjusted some things” after the tournament, giving players including Bellingham “a lot of responsibility”.
Saka, who was part of the front four and was assisted for his first goal by a high quality Bellingham cross, was unequivocal about his team-mate. “He was amazing tonight,” Saka said. “He deserved player of the year and he deserved man of the match tonight too. He was special. [I’m] happy to play with him and happy to have him in the England team.”