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Jude Bellingham has long been considered one of the most gifted footballers of his generation, but after England’s emphatic 7-0 demolition of Croatia in the Nations League, former players and pundits are now openly discussing whether the 23-year-old could become one of the greatest to ever play the game.

The performance in Rijeka was a statement one. Bellingham scored and set up a hat-trick of assists, becoming the first England player directly involved in more than two goals in a single match for the Three Lions, and the first since Trent Alexander-Arnold’s display against San Marino in November 2021 to register three assists in one outing. He even wore the captain’s armband late in the game after Harry Kane was substituted, underlining his growing stature within Thomas Tuchel’s squad.

It is a remarkable turnaround from just twelve months ago, when Jude Bellingham’s place in the England setup was far from guaranteed. Tuchel left him out of the squad entirely in October 2025 and made clear the Real Madrid midfielder would not receive preferential treatment heading into the World Cup. Yet Bellingham answered in the only way that mattered, becoming England’s top scorer at the tournament with seven goals as the side reached the semi-finals before finishing third.

Why Jude Bellingham’s Display Against Croatia Stood Out

Roy Keane, never one to hand out praise lightly, did not hold back after watching the Croatia rout. “Bellingham can go on to be one of the greatest players of all time,” the former Manchester United midfielder said on ITV. “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 also pointed to the less visible side of Bellingham’s game as evidence of his leadership qualities. “He has been fantastic in possession, but what he does out of possession lifts all these other players,” he said. “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.”

Ian Wright was similarly effusive, zeroing in on the relentless movement that made Jude Bellingham so difficult for Croatia to contain. “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.”

A New Level, According to Tuchel

Asked directly whether Bellingham had taken his game up a notch, Tuchel did not disagree. “Yes, at the moment it seems like it, and you always need to,” the England head coach said. “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 explained that following England’s bruising World Cup semi-final defeat to Argentina, he had made adjustments to the setup, handing greater responsibility to key players, Bellingham chief among them. The Croatia result, he suggested, was a way for the squad to move on from that disappointment and show how far they have come.

Former England defender Matt Upson went further, telling BBC Radio 5 Live that Bellingham is now “nailed on as the 10” for England’s long-term future, a role previously contested among several of Tuchel’s attacking options. That status appears to have been cemented further by Bellingham’s recent recognition as England’s player of the year for the second consecutive season.

Bukayo Saka, who benefited directly from one of Bellingham’s assists with a precise cross, was quick to praise his teammate after the match. “He was amazing tonight,” Saka said. “He deserved player of the year and he deserved man of the match tonight too. He was special. Happy to play with him and happy to have him in the England team.”

Supporting Cast Shines Too

While Bellingham was the headline act, he was far from alone. Harry Kane scored twice and will have the chance to equal Peter Shilton’s all-time England appearance record when the Three Lions face the Czech Republic at Wembley. Saka also netted a brace, and Anthony Gordon contributed a goal and an assist, rounding out a front four that tore Croatia apart and inflicted the heaviest defeat in that nation’s history.

Still, it was Jude Bellingham’s all-round contribution — goal, three assists, captaincy, and relentless pressing — that dominated the post-match conversation. For a player who was fighting for his place in the squad barely a year ago, the shift in tone among England’s most respected former players is striking. Whether or not he ultimately joins the pantheon of the game’s greatest names, the consensus from Rijeka was clear: Bellingham is no longer just promising. He is arriving.

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Alabama defensive back Keon Sabb (3) pulls Mississippi State running back Kolin Wilson (6) to the ground during a college football game between Mississippi State and Alabama at Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville, Miss., on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026. Alabama defeated Mississippi State 56-23.

Alabama picked up its best win of the season in Starkville, defeating No. 16 Mississippi State 56-23. The Tide dominated, held on to an early 14-0 lead, and never really looked back.

I want to start by giving this Alabama team credit; they played one of their most complete games of the year and did a great job containing Kamario Taylor. If anything, Keelon Russell looked like the better quarterback. Russell was 16/22 with 3 Touchdowns, but more importantly, he looked phenomenal on the deep ball. He added another touchdown on the ground and, most importantly, finished the game with zero turnovers.

That was the difference maker in this game. Mississippi State was incredibly sloppy on both sides of the ball and didn’t look like a ranked team at home. All week long, media members like Josh Pate lectured AP voters on why Mississippi State wasn’t a top-10 team, and that never made sense to me.

Mississippi State beat two average-to-below-average SEC opponents, and, as usual, the media overrates them just because of their conference. Kamario Taylor can make any play, but he is also one of the main reasons the Bulldogs lost today. When you’re facing a Bama offense that’s clicking on all cylinders, there’s just no way to recover from a three-turnover performance.

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We’d already seen that this Mississippi State defense was flawed. Alabama wasn’t the first team to do whatever they pleased; this is just what they are. I’m not saying Mississippi State shouldn’t be in the top 25; even their current ranking seemed okay, if not slightly high. I just think we were way too quick to crown them as a potential playoff team.

On the other hand, Alabama might be the real deal. The defense struggled to slow down the Bulldogs, but timely turnovers made their efforts seem stronger than they may be. Next week will be their biggest test of the year against a Georgia team that has run right through their easy schedule thus far.

I’m a lot lower on Georgia than most, and with Bama coming in as three-point underdogs at home, I think this is a great spot to pick the Tide. Georgia hasn’t faced a passing attack with a pulse through their first five games, and Keelon Russell looks like a potential Heisman finalist. Whoever comes out of this one will be in the driver’s seat for a regular-season SEC crown.

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Bristol Bears have served early notice that they intend to be genuine contenders in this season’s Prem Rugby, dismantling reigning champions Northampton Saints 41-26 at Ashton Gate in a result that will send shockwaves through the division. Wales winger Louis Rees-Zammit was the headline act, scoring twice to continue his electric start to the campaign, while also winning a late penalty try that put the finishing touches on a famous victory.

For Bristol, the win represents more than just two points. It marks their first time winning their opening two matches of a Prem Rugby season since 2023, and comes against a Northampton side that thrashed them by a staggering 94-26 scoreline when the two teams last met in May. That humiliation clearly left a mark on Bristol director of rugby Pat Lam, who admitted he had rewatched the footage repeatedly over the summer.

“I’ve watched that game five times,” Lam said. “I never watched a game five times in the off-season. Though it hurt, I watched it and built the whole pre-season around that in a sense.” The transformation was evident from the opening exchanges, with Bristol’s defence standing firm against a Northampton attack that had torn them apart just months earlier.

Rees-Zammit the Star of Prem Rugby’s Early Season

Rees-Zammit followed up his brace against Sale Sharks in the opening round with another double display, continuing his sensational introduction to the competition. He has quickly become one of the most talked-about figures in this season’s Prem Rugby, and he marked his second try with a tongue-in-cheek homage to Northampton’s Henry Pollock, mimicking the young England star’s trademark celebration.

“I obviously know Pollock has done that before so I thought I’d just give it a little bit back,” Rees-Zammit explained afterwards. “Me and Pollock are really close. He’s doing great things for the sport. If we’re going to grow this game we need personalities, he’s definitely one and he’s got to do something next week after the forfeit we spoke about yesterday.”

Despite the celebration and the two scores, Rees-Zammit admitted he was left wanting more. A potential hat-trick was denied when Tommy Freeman was shown a yellow card for a bodycheck on the winger, which instead resulted in a penalty try to close out the scoring. “I’m not going to lie, I was devastated,” he said. “It was just fire in my belly to score a hat-trick. I’m good friends with Tommy and it’s all love after but in the moment I was a bit gutted.”

A Day to Forget for the Champions

Northampton, so often the standard-bearers for attacking rugby in recent seasons, endured what their own camp will likely view as a nightmare afternoon. Balls were spilled, chances were squandered, and a disjointed lineout compounded their misery. George Hendy did manage two tries for the visitors, with replacement scrum-half Alex Mitchell and Josh Kemeny also crossing to briefly threaten a comeback, but it was not enough to prevent Bristol wrapping up a bonus-point win.

Pollock, so often the dominant figure in Northampton’s play, endured a rare quiet outing, even taking a painful blow during the first half. Saints also finished the match with 13 players on the pitch after yellow cards for both Freeman and Ion Neculai further undermined their efforts to stage a late rally.

There was a worrying moment for Bristol when centre Benhard van Rensburg was stretchered off just before half-time following a sickening collision that left him requiring lengthy treatment on the pitch. The South African-born centre appeared to be knocked unconscious, evoking memories of a similar incident during England’s summer victory over Argentina. Thankfully, he was later seen on the Bristol touchline during the second half, easing fears over the severity of the injury.

Statement Result Boosts Prem Rugby Title Credentials

With two wins from two, including a scalp as significant as the reigning champions, Bristol have firmly inserted themselves into the conversation among this season’s Prem Rugby title favourites. The defensive improvement that Lam has clearly prioritised was on full display, with the Bears largely shutting down Northampton’s renowned attacking game for long periods.

Tries from Gabriel Oghre, Harry Randall and Tom Jordan supplemented Rees-Zammit’s contribution, with fly-half James Williams reliable off the tee. Bristol will now turn their attention to a tough-looking clash with Saracens, hoping to carry this momentum forward as the Prem Rugby season gathers pace.

Elsewhere in the division, Gloucester continued their own impressive opening to the campaign, thrashing a hapless Harlequins side 48-0 at Kingsholm. Without several key players including England internationals Marcus Smith and Alex Dombrandt, Quins were comprehensively outplayed in every facet of the game, failing to trouble the scoreboard at all as Gloucester racked up eight tries of their own.

Sunil Gavaskar was disappointed to see Rohit Sharma miss out on an ODI century in the third match against the West Indies, saying he wants the Indian opener to finish his international career with more ODI hundreds than his age.Rohit scored 92 off 85 balls, with 10 fours and three sixes, in India’s third ODI against the West Indies. India lost the third ODI after the visitors successfully chased down 352, with captain Shai Hope scoring an unbeaten 162.Rohit had come into the match after scoring a century in the second ODI. With captain Shubman Gill dismissed for one and Virat Kohli out for a golden duck, the ‘Hitman’ once again took responsibility with the bat.Rohit has scored 35 ODI centuries so far. Gavaskar said a 36th hundred in the third ODI would have taken him closer to the milestone he hopes Rohit can achieve before potentially retiring after the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027.“The reason I was disappointed with Rohit getting out on 92 is that he didn’t get a hundred, and he might possibly quit international cricket after the end of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027. And at that particular point of time, when he decides to call it a day, I personally would like Rohit to have more ODI hundreds than his age. Had he gotten a century in the third ODI, he would have moved closer to achieving that feat with his 36th hundred. For me, it’s a special thing when a player’s hundreds outnumber his age at retirement. It shows the kind of career they have had and the standard they have kept for so many years. That is why I really want Rohit to reach that mark. In my last year of international cricket, I wanted to get as many Test centuries as my age, and I got out in the 90s thrice. If I’d got those hundreds, then my centuries would have matched the age of my retirement, which was 38,” Gavaskar said on JioStar, as quoted by news agency ANI.Gavaskar also pointed out that Rohit’s batting approach has changed since the 2023 ODI World Cup. While Rohit continues to score quickly, he now appears to place more importance on staying at the crease and turning his starts into big scores.According to Gavaskar, that approach can help Rohit score centuries at a good rate while also benefiting India and reducing criticism over slow batting.“A slight change has appeared in the batting template of Rohit that he himself set as the captain for the 2023 ODI World Cup, where he was going bang-bang from the first ball, irrespective of the possibility of getting out sooner. Now he recognises that his wicket is valuable. In that 2023 World Cup, he got the team off to great starts, but he’s not a batsman who will score just 30-40 runs. He’s a hundred-maker! And therefore, I’m happy to see him score big runs. Yes, I know he missed out on a well-deserved ton in this match, but he got a hundred in the previous game. So, the fact that he’s recognising that his job as a batter is also to get a hundred, and if he scores big, he gets a hundred in 70-80 deliveries, which is helpful for the team because that is a great scoring rate in a 50-over game and it also keeps him away from the social media critics of slow batting,” Gavaskar said.He finished the three-match ODI series against England with 175 runs at an average of 58.33 and a strike rate of 98.31. He then carried that form into the ODI series against the West Indies, scoring 225 runs in three matches.

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A dramatic Red Bull upgrade has reshaped the competitive order of Formula 1 just as the series returned to Sepang for the first time since 2017, with Max Verstappen seizing his first pole position of the season and sending a clear warning to his rivals ahead of Sunday’s Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia.

Verstappen’s lap was not merely quick, it was commanding. Even Lewis Hamilton, who will start alongside him on the front row in what felt like a throwback to their fierce title battle five years ago, admitted he expects to spend Sunday simply trying to survive the Dutchman’s pace rather than challenge for the win outright. Nearly three tenths of a second separated the pair in qualifying, a gap that speaks less to a lucky lap and more to a genuine shift in Red Bull’s competitiveness.

How the Red Bull upgrade turned the season around

It has been a long road back. Red Bull began 2026 trailing Mercedes by more than half a second a lap on average, a deficit significant enough to spark speculation that Verstappen himself might walk away from the team before his contract expired. McLaren reportedly came calling during the summer break, yet Verstappen chose to re-sign for two more years, insisting he still believed in the project even if it meant grinding through a difficult rebuild.

That faith is now being rewarded. A string of incremental developments, capped by a new floor introduced in Baku last weekend that brought Red Bull within two tenths of victory, has transformed the car’s balance. In Malaysia’s brutal heat, on a track surface widely regarded as the roughest on the calendar, that improved balance proved decisive.

“It’s been an incredible result for us,” Verstappen said after qualifying. “Looking at the season, how it started for us and the progression that we have made… we have been adding bits to the car and they have worked. It’s as simple as that. When they work, you gain lap time, you have a better overall balance in the car.”

He pointed specifically to how that stability translates on tyres that are unusually sensitive to balance changes, a crucial factor at a circuit where heat and surface roughness are expected to make degradation the defining story of the race. “On a track probably where it’s all very hot and you want a stable, connected balance, that’s very important,” he added. “That’s what we have found a little bit more over the last weekends.”

Hadjar notices the difference immediately

The scale of the transformation was perhaps best illustrated by team-mate Isack Hadjar, who missed three races after breaking his wrist boxing during a training session and only returned in Baku last weekend. Hadjar qualified an impressive third in Malaysia, though he will start eighth after picking up a grid penalty for exceeding his allocation of engine parts.

“I jumped in a car that’s way better than when I left it in Budapest,” Hadjar said. “When you step out for three races and come back, you actually notice a bigger difference. The last two weekends have been surprising.” His comments add weight to the sense that the Red Bull upgrade is not a one-off fluke but a genuine step forward that both drivers can feel through the car.

Mercedes left searching for answers

While Red Bull celebrates, Mercedes face uncertainty of their own. Championship leader Kimi Antonelli starts third on the grid after Hadjar’s penalty, having been hampered in qualifying by an unconventional tyre strategy and a mistake on an early run. His team-mate George Russell, who trails Antonelli by 66 points after a stalled run of form since his Baku win, starts four places further back and admits he is struggling to understand his lack of pace.

Mercedes brought a significant aerodynamic update to Malaysia, their first major package since the Canadian Grand Prix in June, but it has not yet delivered the leap forward the team had hoped for. Whether that stems from the parts themselves or simply the extreme conditions of the weekend remains unclear, with the heat and abrasive track surface limiting how much useful set-up work teams can actually complete.

“With this new package, obviously the window of the way the car operates is different,” Antonelli explained. “We’re trying to understand in which window the car performance is best, in the high-speed and low-speed corners.”

With tyre wear expected to dictate strategy in Sunday’s heat, and Red Bull’s newfound balance playing directly into that equation, the race looks set to test whether the Red Bull upgrade can convert a stunning qualifying performance into a result that reshapes the wider championship picture.

England delivered a statement performance in Rijeka, thrashing Croatia 7-0 in a Nations League clash that will be remembered as one of the Three Lions’ most emphatic away displays in years. Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham, Anthony Gordon and Bukayo Saka all got on the scoresheet, and the scale of the victory has inevitably sparked fresh discussion around England player ratings, with fans and pundits alike scrambling to work out who stole the show.

Thomas Tuchel’s side were ruthless from the opening whistle. Kane broke the deadlock before Bellingham, Gordon and Saka all added further goals ahead of half-time, effectively settling the contest before the break. Kane added a fifth shortly after the restart, Saka completed his brace from close range, and substitute Morgan Rogers rounded off the rout late on with a composed finish after being played through on goal.

England Player Ratings: Bellingham the Standout

Among the crop of England player ratings compiled after the match, one name towered above the rest: Jude Bellingham. The Real Madrid midfielder was directly involved in three of England’s seven goals, threading a lovely pass to send Kane clear for the opener, scoring the second himself, and teeing up Saka for the fourth. BBC Sport’s reporting on the game awarded him a 9, with fan voting pushing his average rating close to a perfect score, reflecting just how dominant his all-round display was against a Croatia side that simply had no answer for him.

Behind Bellingham, Anthony Gordon and Harry Kane were not far off in the eyes of those tallying up the night’s England player ratings. Gordon continued an outstanding run of form, scoring in a fourth consecutive England appearance while also setting up Bellingham’s goal with real confidence. Kane, meanwhile, looked sharp and energetic throughout, pressing from the front, showcasing his passing range, and adding his customary clinical edge in front of goal with two strikes of his own.

Defensive Surprises and Fresh Faces

Tuchel’s selection decisions also shaped much of the post-match analysis. Jarell Quansah was a surprise pick at right-back ahead of Trent Alexander-Arnold, but the Bayer Leverkusen defender repaid the faith with a composed, powerful display capped by a quality assist for Gordon’s goal. Elsewhere in defence, Marc Guehi and Ezri Konsa dealt calmly with what limited defensive work came their way, given how comprehensively England dominated possession and territory for long spells.

Further forward, Alex Scott impressed on his first England start, looking comfortable on the ball and unafraid to drive the team forward rather than simply playing it safe. Elliot Anderson, continuing a strong run throughout this international break, was another name to feature prominently in the night’s England player ratings, with his assist for Kane’s fifth goal underlining his growing importance to this midfield.

Saka’s double means he now looks to be building a productive partnership down the right with Quansah, and he might well have had a hat-trick had he converted a presentable second-half chance. Off the bench, Morgan Rogers made an instant impact, rounding the goalkeeper to make it seven, while Eberechi Eze, James Garner, Morgan Gibbs-White and Myles Lewis-Skelly all saw minutes as Tuchel rotated his resources with the scoreline well and truly settled.

What the Numbers Say

When the dust settled on the various England player ratings published and crowdsourced after the final whistle, Bellingham topped the charts with an average close to 9, followed closely by Gordon and Kane, both hovering in the high 8s. Saka, Anderson, Hall and Scott all posted solid figures above 7.5, underlining just how many players contributed to a genuinely collective demolition job rather than a one-man show.

For Croatia, by contrast, there was little to celebrate. No outfield player’s rating climbed much above the middle of the scale, a reflection of a team that was pressed, outpaced and outclassed for the vast majority of the match. Goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic was kept busiest and still finished with one of the higher marks on his side simply by virtue of limiting further damage.

For England, the result and the accompanying England player ratings paint a picture of a squad brimming with confidence heading into the autumn international fixtures. With Bellingham dictating play, Kane leading the line with typical composure, and younger talents like Gordon, Quansah and Rogers all making strong cases for regular involvement, Tuchel appears to have options and momentum in equal measure as his side look to build on one of their most convincing performances in recent memory.

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