Jude-fever. Bellingham-mania. No one has come up with a catchy name for it yet, but it’s happening. A London train stop called Bellingham station has been renamed “Jude Bellingham”. West Midlands Railway is offering free train rides for anyone named Jude. “Hey Jude” is on the playlist after every England win with “Three Lions” and “Wonderwall”, the only player with his own ballad.

Only a couple of weeks ago, this World Cup felt like it would be Harry Kane’s tournament. It could yet be Kane’s pinnacle at the end of an extraordinary season of 72 goals and counting, a tally bettered only once, by Lionel Messi. If Messi is one of football’s deities, then Kane is the greatest mortal ever to do it. Win the World Cup on Sunday, and he will surely end the year on stage in Paris, wearing a shiny suit and holding a golden orb.

But increasingly, this tournament looks like the World Cup of Jude Bellingham. It was his goal against Croatia that sparked England’s best 45 minutes so far, his goal against Panama that broke the deadlock, his rapid double that briefly silenced the Azteca, a feat in itself. Bellingham’s first goal in the quarter-final against Norway was a moment of elite technical skill amid a shower of incompetence, his second a display of heightened instincts that earned England a victory they scarcely deserved.

And perhaps this tournament means even more to Bellingham, a player who has been publicly questioned and privately doubted by his own manager, who has been subjected to outside scrutiny unlike his teammates. “Don’t bring Jude,” ran a headline in the Daily Mail earlier this season, suggesting England would be better off without the “divisive soloist” at the World Cup.

“It’s good to put some of the noise aside, and just show my country and my teammates how committed I am to helping us win football matches,” Bellingham said after scoring in the 4-2 win over Croatia in Dallas.

It seems bizarre now, but one of the decisions Thomas Tuchel stewed over before that opening match – and throughout his 18-month reign – was whether Bellingham or Morgan Rogers should be his No 10 at the World Cup. Bellingham missed last September’s qualifiers after undergoing shoulder surgery, and it was unfortunately timed. England played their best game under Tuchel, winning 5-0 in Serbia, and Rogers was excellent.

Tuchel omitted Bellingham from the following camp despite his return to fitness at Real Madrid. There was also the infamous line about Bellingham’s “repulsive” on-field behaviour, which Tuchel attributed to his mother and a slip of the tongue in his second language, and for which he later apologised.

Tuchel felt England created a “brotherhood” during those September and October camps. Could a powerful personality like Bellingham slip seamlessly into the fold?

Even when Bellingham made the World Cup squad, there was no guarantee he would start against Croatia. Tuchel was asked before kick-off: why Bellingham over Rogers? “It was really close,” the manager said. Was he picked because of his big-game appetite, that knack for scoring when it matters? “No,” said Tuchel. “A 50-50 call,” he called it, as if Bellingham had just beaten Rogers in a game of rock-paper-scissors in the dressing room.

There were a raft of other No 10s Tuchel could have chosen. Eberechi Eze has played only cameos. Phil Foden and Cole Palmer are watching on TV. But then, really, what is the point of Bellingham’s unique set of powers if you don’t use them? England have a player who Real Madrid bought for €103m aged 19, who won the Champions League at 20, who is at his fourth major tournament aged 22. Steven Gerrard played his fourth at 30. Frank Lampard was 36.

And over the past few weeks, Bellingham has shown why he is not just another piece of England’s puzzle: he’s the piece, the keystone in the entire edifice of this World Cup campaign.

There are the goals, obviously, the assists, the way he bends rigid games to his will. But with Bellingham, it’s also the other bits, the intangibles, like his sheer presence in an England team and what that brings. Already at his age, Bellingham carries an aura that transmits confidence to his teammates, one that makes opponents feel a little smaller as they line up in the tunnel.

Perhaps part of that is the compelling aesthetics, the upright posture, the square shoulders, standing 6ft plenty. The cheekbones, the smile, the twinkle in his eyes. We are not supposed to objectify athletes in this job, but come on now. The Norwegian defence just went weak at the knees and now England are 2-1 up in a quarter-final.

Then there are the tackles, three in the second half against Croatia alone. They are not just toes on the ball but full slides through his opponent, comprehensive clean-outs, taking the man with him as he goes. It is the type of tackle that lifts England fans off their feet, that elicits those low-octave hums of “Juuuuuude”, a tackle that gets his teammates facing forwards, that changes the direction of the wind.

If you delve into Fifa’s enormous suite of World Cup stats, you’ll find Bellingham on top in two categories. The first is sprints – no one left in the competition has made more than his 328, or 55 per game. That’s a sprint every 110 seconds, across six games, one of which was played not far off the altitude of Mount Olympus, another played in heat and humidity that even Amazon tribesmen would describe as stifling.

The second is what Fifa catchily calls “offers to receive in between”, which are those moments when Bellingham stands in a difficult place, where opponents lurk, where defenders are near, and demands to have the ball. If his sprints show endeavour under strain and stress, the latter shows courage and sheer belief in his own ability to take possession under pressure, time and again.

But perhaps just as telling is that on a whole raft of other measures, Bellingham ranks near the top. Distance covered, pressures, turnovers, goals, off-the-ball runs, chances created, headed efforts attempted. His work is best displayed in the box, but Bellingham is a complete midfielder impacting every aspect of each game, England’s omnipresent force. It is not that he’s a “soloist”. It’s just that sometimes it takes a virtuoso to elevate the piece.

It is why the comparisons with Steven Gerrard are justified, another player who could thrive in any position on the pitch. Yet Gerrard never produced this level for England, at least not consistently throughout a World Cup. Neither did Lampard, nor Wayne Rooney, nor David Beckham, nor Michael Owen. Bellingham’s individual performance has surpassed Paul Gascoigne at Italia ’90 and Gary Lineker at Mexico ’86. It is perhaps the best by an England player at a World Cup since 1966.

There are glimpses of his potentially combustible personality in those moments when he admonishes the referee or bellows at teammates for not reading his mind. His mum repeatedly reminded him not to get a yellow card in the days before Norway in order to avoid a suspension.

The snipes at Tuchel in post-match interviews perhaps revealed Bellingham’s frustrations at his battle for his place, using his position of undoubted power to get certain things off his chest. But that edge has been channelled into performances full of commitment and purpose, delivered with an energy that has set England’s tone. Tuchel might even take some credit for that, provoking a little motivation and inspiration.

Perhaps a career path outside the Premier League’s gaze has stymied Bellingham’s appreciation in England. Perhaps it doesn’t help that he is so hard to define, a No 10 who isn’t really a typical No 10 at all. His youth coach at Birmingham City famously marvelled at how he could play three midfield roles at once – numbers 4, 8, and 10 – so added them together and assigned him No 22.

But his talent cannot be ignored this summer. Belli-monium is in full swing. Some time after the end of the Norway game, thousands of English fans belted out “Hey Jude” with feeling as he stood on the grass below, alone, drenched in sweat, allowing the adulation to wash over him. What an extraordinary experience that must be. And for the first time at this World Cup, Bellingham looked like he didn’t know what to do with himself.

Indian cricket team skipper Shubman Gill was forced to leave the field retired hurt during the first ODI encounter against England on Tuesday. Gill looked in good touch as he scored 80 off 75 deliveries with the help of 11 fours and one six. However, during the 26th over of the Indian innings, he could not stand properly and had to lie down on the pitch while clutching the back of his right leg. The commentators were left wondering whether it was just a cramp or the star batter was suffering from something more serious. Ultimately, he was unable to continue and decided to leave the field. 

Coming to the match, a bowling masterclass from Axar Patel, along with disciplined pace and bounce by Prasidh Krishna and Gurnoor Brar, helped India restrict England to 258.

Patel was India’s standout bowler, taking four wickets, breaking England’s resistance with his accurate left-arm spin. Prasidh Krishna and Gurnoor Brar also chipped in with two scalps each. Jasprit Bumrah took a wicket to claim his 150th ODI wicket as India kept England under control throughout the innings.

England were bowled out for 258 runs in 47.5 overs after opting to bat first in the opening ODI against India. The hosts made a strong start but lost momentum in the middle overs, losing five wickets for just 19 runs before Root and Dawson combined to revive the innings.

Joe Root top-scored for England with an unbeaten 76 runs, anchoring the innings and guiding the lower order. Liam Dawson provided valuable support with 68 runs, helping England recover from a difficult position.

Ben Duckett contributed 43 runs, while Will Jacks scored 20 and Jofra Archer added 12 towards the end. Apart from them, all the English batters struggled to put the bat on the ball.

For India, Patel became only the second Indian spinner to take four wickets between the 41st and 50th overs of an ODI innings, matching Ravindra Jadeja‘s feat against Sri Lanka in 2013.

England started positively with Duckett and his opening partner Jacob Bethell building a steady platform, but India’s bowlers struck back at regular intervals.

Root displayed composure under pressure, rotating the strike and building partnerships to prevent a complete collapse. Dawson matched his approach with an aggressive counter-attacking knock, helping England cross the 250-run mark after being in trouble.

India will now require 259 runs to win the opening ODI and take an early lead in the three-match series.

The last time a sub-300 target was successfully defended in a full 50-over ODI at Edgbaston was in the Champions Trophy 2013 when South Africa defended 236 against Pakistan.

(With ANI inputs)

Featured Video Of The Day

Haaland Memes | “It’s A Special & Funny Game”: Haaland Ahead Of Quarterfinals Against England

Spain face France and Argentina take on England in the World Cup semi-finals this week, and it’s inspired us to make this quiz.

Just like you did for our quarter-finalists quiz, it’s time to name every nation that has reached a World Cup semi-final.

After more quizzes? Go to our dedicated Football Quizzes and Sports Quizzes pages and sign up for notifications to get the latest quizzes sent straight to your device.

Spain enters the contest on a 36-match unbeaten run and will be aiming to secure a place in the final.© Getty

Gervonta Davis has been called out for a “best vs the best” encounter, which could end up being the final fight of his career.

Davis has not fought since his controversial draw with Lamont Roach, who was considered incredibly unfortunate not to emerge victorious in March 2025.

‘Tank’ then entertained talks for an immediate rematch and WBA title defence, only to instead schedule an exhibition match with Jake Paul later that year.

In the end, though, Davis was removed from the event – which was set for last November – on account of him facing allegations of domestic violence.

Since then, he has remained out of the ring but is now angling for a return, albeit after rejecting an opportunity to reclaim his WBA lightweight title against Floyd Schofield.

For Davis, however, it appears the world titles are neither here nor there, even if he has been made WBA ‘champion in recess’ at 135lbs.

And the same, it seems, could be said of Shakur Stevenson, who holds the WBO super-lightweight strap but is not overly bothered about becoming an undisputed king.

After announcing his signing with Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing, the 29-year-old told Chris Mannix that he sees his legacy being defined by the fights themselves, rather than whatever belts are on the line.

“If I go fight against Tank, no one cares whether it’s for undisputed or not. They just care that it’s the best vs the best.

“At first, [Davis] said he wouldn’t fight me. Now, I heard him say on Twitter that he will fight me, so it sounds like his tune is changing.

“He may not admit it, but I think he’s got a lot of respect for me as a fighter, which is why I think he plans on fighting me as his last fight on his way out the door.”

The two Americans have been on a collision course for quite some time, yet only now does Stevenson seem to believe there is a realistic chance of facing his rival.

Derek Chisora has weighed in on the Joe Joyce retirement debate after seeing his countryman “quit” in round 11 of his clash with Artem Suslenkov.

The two heavyweights squared off in Moscow, Russia, last weekend, featuring on the undercard of Murat Gassiev’s successful WBA title defence against Peter Kadiru.

Put simply, it was seen as something of a crossroads fight, between a grizzled veteran and an unbeaten, 30-year-old fringe contender.

But while Suslenkov had remained unproven at any significant level, Joyce was coming off back-to-back points defeats to Chisora and Filip Hrgovic.

Even before those two setbacks, many were calling for the ‘Juggernaut’ to retire, especially after his devastating stoppage losses to Zhilei Zhang in 2023.

Yet Joyce nonetheless decided to roll the dice against Suslenkov, who seemed the much fresher combatant without applying any real pressure on his opponent.

Sure enough, though, their contest reached a stage where the 40-year-old could simply not bring himself to take any more punches.

Waving his glove in a sort of ‘No Mas’ manner, Joyce’s signal was eventually identified by the referee, who drew a halt after one final flurry from Suslenkov.

Speaking to Seconds Out after the contest, Chisora gave his interpretation of what could lie ahead for his fellow veteran.

“He just quit – that was it. He thought he had it in him when he was training, and then he said he was not fit. I’m like, ‘You were training, though?’

“You know when the fire goes out – when boxing retires you? This is what we talk about. Suddenly, you don’t have enough to stop these younger men.

“Boxing retired [Joyce] today.”

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Interestingly, Chisora was targeted as an opponent during the early stage of Joyce’s career, back when the Olympic silver medallist was more mobile and, in truth, less shop-worn.

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From the show

World Cup Debrief

Reading time
1 min

Didier Deschamps has reiterated his view that La Roja remain the favourites to win the World Cup. Spain face France on Tuesday for the chance to add a second star to their shirt, having lifted the trophy only once before, in 2010. Meanwhile, Senegal’s Football Federation held its first press conference since the sacking of head coach Pape Thiaw, shedding new light on the tensions behind his departure.

Manchester City star Phil Foden was not taken with England to the World Cup and has not really been missed

Thomas Tuchel knew what he was doing when he took the big calls of leaving both Phil Foden and Cole Palmer out of his England squad for the World Cup. The coach is experienced enough to know that such decisions would be thrown back in his face the second his plans did not work out.

Aside from some stickiness around the Ghana and Panama matches though, there has been very little mention of either the Manchester City or Chelsea playmakers. England have forgotten about them as Jude Bellingham has risen to the fore to help lead the Three Lions into the last four of the World Cup.

This could of course be more disappointment on top of not being picked to go. Everybody wants to feel like they’re missed when they are not there, and Premier League footballers are constantly rated and compared with each other as part of the sport.

In the case of Foden though, having a summer where he is forgotten could well be perfect for him. The 26-year-old has already had nearly a decade of his life where expectation and hype have followed him everywhere he has gone, and living up to that is gruelling and virtually impossible.

City thought they had got the player back to his best last season as he dazzled in the first half of the campaign. However, when his form disappeared around January there was nothing that anyone was able to do to reverse that and it cost him a place in the City team and his England spot for the World Cup.

Even if he had been included by Tuchel, Foden would barely have played given his current form. After months of that experience at the Etihad without seeing enough improvement, a new environment and a full break from football looks the better option.

A rare summer off has been used by Foden to watch tennis at Wimbledon, F1 at Silverstone, and get plenty of fishing in – as well as a holiday with his family. Turning up at his local to watch England has been the closest he has come to the World Cup experience.

It remains unclear whether that can spark Foden back into form, but space and time away from the spotlight is something that he has barely known for the last decade. Being kept out of the conversations around England this summer can only have helped the playmaker to keep his mind clear.

The midfield man has of course kept his fitness up and will be one of the first through the doors of the City Football Academy next week to start training with Enzo Maresca. The world may then be talking about an historic win for England in the final, but Foden knows exactly the challenge he has to pass in this season.

Away from the attention, from next week Foden can start showing what his rest has done for him as he looks to return to being one of City’s most important players.

MS Dhoni and Kriti Sanon at India vs England ODI (X)

The opening ODI between India and England at Edgbaston on Tuesday had plenty of star power off the field as former India captain MS Dhoni and Bollywood actress Kriti Sanon were spotted in the stands watching the match.

Kriti Sanon appearance at India vs England ODI

Kriti Sanon appearance at India vs England ODI

The celebrity duo caught the attention of fans and broadcasters during England’s innings, with visuals of Dhoni and Kriti quickly making the rounds on social media. Their appearance added to the buzz surrounding the series opener, which marked the return of several senior Indian players, including Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul and Jasprit Bumrah. While the cameras frequently panned towards the VIP stands, the action on the field also kept spectators entertained. England, who opted to bat first after winning the toss, looked set for a below-par total after collapsing from 61 without loss to 107 for six under relentless pressure from India’s bowlers. Jasprit Bumrah, returning after a six-week workload management break, produced a superb spell despite finishing with figures of 1 for 31. The pace spearhead bowled 36 dot balls and consistently troubled England’s top order with his movement and bounce. Young left-arm seamer Gurnoor Brar claimed two wickets in the space of three deliveries, dismissing Jacob Bethell and Ben Duckett, while Prasidh Krishna removed Jos Buttler and Sam Curran to leave the hosts reeling. However, Joe Root and Liam Dawson mounted a spirited recovery with a 121-run partnership for the seventh wicket. Root struck a composed 76, while Dawson registered a career-best 68 to steer England towards a competitive total. India eventually broke the stand through Axar Patel, who ran through the lower order to finish with career-best ODI figures of 4 for 62. His late burst ensured England were bowled out for 258 after threatening to post a much bigger score. Even as the contest unfolded on the field, Dhoni and Kriti Sanon’s presence in the stands remained one of the biggest talking points among fans, adding a touch of glamour to the series opener at Edgbaston.

Brighton have completed the signing of Croatian defender Luka Vuskovic from Tottenham for an initial club record £46m.

The 19-year-old, who played against England at this summer’s World Cup, has agreed a five-year contract with the Seagulls, with an option for a further 12 months. Spurs could receive an additional £4m in add-on fees, taking the overall fee to £50m, and the deal includes a 20 per cent sell-on clause.

Vuskovic joined Tottenham from Hajduk Split in 2025 and spent last season on loan at German club Hamburg. The centre-back, who made no competitive appearances for Spurs, was eager for first-team football and favoured a permanent move over another loan.

Brighton head coach Fabian Hurzeler told his club’s website: “Luka has enjoyed a fantastic start to his career – it’s one we’ve followed closely. Last season he demonstrated he can play at a very high level and we want to help him build on that within our environment.

“There’s been a lot of external noise about Luka joining us, but he is still a young guy who will need time to adjust to the demands of playing for Brighton and the Premier League. We are confident that he will take this in his stride though.”

Vuskovic is Tottenham’s first major outgoing of the summer, following a number of high-profile signings made by the north London club.

Tottenham spent £100m to sign Sandro Tonali from Newcastle, and also splashed out £85m on fellow midfielder Mateus Fernandes following West Ham’s relegation from the Premier League.

Meanwhile, the club also brought in Jan Paul van Vecke from Brighton earlier this month for £52m.

This follows Tottenham’s decision to sign a number of players on free transfers, including Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi and Martin Dubravka.

Spurs are expected to continue adding to their squad, and have shown interest in Bournemouth youngster Eli Junior Kroupi.

Brighton are also expected to bring in new players as they look to bolster their ranks ahead of their return to European football. The Seagulls will be playing in the Conference League next season after finishing eighth in the Premier League last term.