Jordan Henderson's long-standing belief in Jude Bellingham's ability to be England's main man was vindicated as Bellingham delivered a match-winning performance against Mexico. The Three Lions secured a dramatic 3-2 victory at the Azteca Stadium on Monday morning, booking their place in the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup.
Bellingham's Heroics Seal Victory
The 23-year-old Real Madrid star scored twice within two minutes, with Harry Kane adding his sixth goal of the tournament to secure the win. Bellingham has now found the net four times in five matches this summer, repeatedly delivering for his country—a burden Henderson had forecast he would shoulder throughout the competition.
Speaking about Bellingham's impact last month, the former Liverpool captain said: "I'm sure he will have a big impact for us in this tournament. I can remember five years ago, I gave him his first cap, it was away at Middlesbrough. How much he's grown, as a player and as a person since then, is incredible really."
Henderson's Confidence in Bellingham
Henderson added: "I had a good idea when I first saw him playing and training, and the way he was. I think everybody forgets how young he is. We do rondos and the youngest in, and there's people that I think should be going in before him, but he's always one of the first in the middle to go in. It just reminds us how young he is."
He continued: "I honestly couldn't speak highly enough of him. I know a lot gets written in the media and I really find it hard to read sometimes because I just know how big an influence he is on this team, how good a teammate he is off the field. And what he gives us is just something really special, he really gives us the X-factor in our team. He's had big moments in his career, he's a big game player, he's got experience in tournaments. So he's a huge, huge player for us in this tournament."
Quarter-Final Opponents: Norway
Thomas Tuchel's side will now face Norway in the quarter-finals after the Scandinavians knocked out Brazil 2-1 on Sunday, thanks to a late brace from Erling Haaland. England have now progressed to the last eight at three consecutive World Cups, with confidence steadily building that 2026 could finally be the year football comes home.
