With a goal and three assists against Croatia, Bellingham delivered a phenomenal performance. After the match, The Daily Telegraph noted that Bellingham continues to reach new heights and has the potential to become England's greatest player of all time.

Ahead of Euro 2024, Adidas launched a two-minute advertisement featuring Sir David Beckham, Frank Lampard, and British grime artist Stormzy, with Jude Bellingham as the central figure.

The commercial used The Beatles' "Hey Jude" as its soundtrack, portraying Bellingham as the national hero England had long been missing in major tournaments. It conveyed the belief that he could shoulder the responsibility and finally end England's long and painful wait for a championship.

However, England ultimately fell short at the tournament. Bellingham's team scapegoated him for the defeat. Bellingham himself later said he felt like a "sacrificial lamb."

"I lost my smile because I felt I was treated unfairly given my efforts," he added.

The Euro 2024 final defeat left Bellingham deeply frustrated, feeling unfairly blamed for the loss.

One crucial point was overlooked: it was his own management team and sponsors, not the media or Sir Gareth Southgate, who elevated Bellingham to such heights. Those expectations arrived too soon. However, if Bellingham can maintain his current trajectory, the prophecy of that advertisement could come true at the next major tournament in 2026.

At last summer's World Cup, Bellingham established himself as a world-class player, scoring seven goals and delivering impressive performances across multiple matches. Gary Lineker once said the midfielder has the potential to become England's greatest player ever.

In the World Cup quarterfinal against France, Bellingham scored twice, rescuing England from the brink of elimination.

These bold declarations made headlines, and following Saturday's Nations League victory over Croatia, similar comments emerged once again. This time it was Roy Keane who spoke: "I believe Bellingham could be among the greatest players of all time."

"He's an incredible footballer. He's extremely versatile: his running ability, passing quality, and goal-threat are outstanding. Looking at his trajectory, I think he still has enormous room for improvement."

Undoubtedly, Bellingham continues to scale new personal heights, both at Real Madrid and with the England national team. Against Croatia, he was nearly unstoppable, scoring a goal and providing three assists.

The last time an English midfielder was directly involved in four goals in a single match was David Platt in 1993, but that came in a 6-0 rout of San Marino, whereas this opponent was 14th-ranked Croatia.

Bellingham is only 23 years old this year, already with 59 caps for England. He will almost certainly surpass Harry Kane's eventual England appearance record. Captain Kane currently has 124 caps and will lead the team against the Czech Republic on Tuesday.

Kane himself is already a legend, also in contention for the title of England's greatest player ever, particularly having scored 89 goals and is very likely to surpass 100. Behind him is Wayne Rooney with 53 goals; Kane's tally is nearly double Rooney's.

However, as The Telegraph's sports column noted during the World Cup: unless Kane wins a major tournament for England, it will be difficult to crown him the nation's greatest player. He may have one more chance at the next Euros, but at 33 years old, time is running short. In contrast, Bellingham has at least another decade to pursue championship glory.

Kane is England's all-time leading goalscorer, but he has increasingly limited time to compete for major tournament titles.

Until England secures a trophy, the answer is clear: Sir Bobby Charlton remains England's greatest player of all time. Anyone challenging this status must first possess a major tournament winner's medal. Some argue that a second World Cup victory—earning a second star—is necessary, as a single Euros title alone is not sufficient to rival his legacy.

Bobby Charlton was instrumental in England's 1966 World Cup triumph and is still widely regarded as the greatest player in English football history.

At the same time, we must acknowledge the remarkable speed at which Bellingham's importance within the team has grown. Not long ago, England was still Kane's team. The captain's status hasn't diminished, but Bellingham's performances have been so dazzling that his influence may already rival Kane's.

Yet less than a year ago, there was considerable doubt. In October 2023, Bellingham was left out of the squad, and Thomas Tuchel's ill-advised and later regretted comments raised uncertainty about his starting position. At that time, Tuchel greatly admired Morgan Rogers in the number ten role, believing he better suited the system—and Rogers happened to be Bellingham's best friend in the England squad.

Therefore, when Bellingham was selected for the World Cup warm-up match and started against Costa Rica in Orlando, it became major news. From the start, he pressed at high intensity, setting the tone. Since then, he has run tirelessly, driving England forward through his ability and mental strength. Now his teammates must try to keep pace with him.

At that moment, it was difficult to envision Bellingham as a candidate for captain after Kane. The absence of vice-captain Declan Rice from this squad further elevated Bellingham's standing within the team.

Previously, he wasn't even considered Kane's successor, but now he's among the favorites. However, it's widely believed that if Tuchel remains in charge when a new captain is chosen, Rice would be selected.

What was most impressive about the Croatia match was Bellingham's relentless drive to push the team forward and raise standards. Since his breakthrough at Dortmund, he has consistently demanded higher standards from his teammates. This occasionally caused friction and misunderstandings, particularly during his time in Germany. Older players found it difficult to accept a teenager publicly pointing out their flaws on the training ground, and some felt he was too aggressive. But Bellingham's winning mentality is a quality England has historically lacked and may ultimately prove decisive.

Look at England's seventh goal against Croatia: Bellingham assisted the team's first goal as well. This time, he received the ball in his own half, and after two touches, he played a through ball to Rogers in space. The match was already decided, and the easier option would have been to control possession and run down the clock, but he still carved open the Croatian defense.

The moment Rogers scored, Bellingham, 60 meters away, raised both arms.

He sent a clear message: "Everything is under control."

If he can maintain this mentality, he is on course to become England's greatest player of all time.

Traducido por IA.

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