According to a report from AS, Bellingham played brilliantly in England's recent friendly against Costa Rica, essentially securing his starting spot for England's opening FIFA World Cup match against Croatia. Afterwards, the media commented that he "displayed superstar quality."
The report stated that Tuchel's 3-0 victory over Costa Rica in Orlando sent many signals, resolving numerous questions about England's starting lineup for their FIFA World Cup opener against Croatia in Dallas. The most crucial suspense was who would partner Harry Kane as an attacking midfielder. Bellingham, who previously wore the Three Lions' No. 10 jersey, wasn't guaranteed a starting spot, but his performance in the first half of this match completely dispelled all outside doubts about the Real Madrid player's on-field positioning.
Bellingham, starting in a nearly full-strength lineup, confirmed the coach's opinion from several months ago with his actual performance: this England team is stronger with Bellingham on the field. This was the last crucial warm-up test before the FIFA World Cup, and also Bellingham's second FIFA World Cup appearance for the England senior team and his fourth international tournament. He passed this test with flying colors. Henry Winter, a journalist for 442 magazine, wrote: "Bellingham was brilliant, and there is no doubt that the debate about whether he should start for England against Croatia in Dallas has been settled."
Against Costa Rica, Bellingham covered a wide range of the attacking third, displaying excellent passing and link-up play. Alongside goal-scorer Anthony Gordon, he became the central player on the field, with his support visible at every attacking point. When the score was 1-0, the England No. 10 delivered a superb through ball to Noni Madueke, who, facing the goalkeeper one-on-one, failed to convert the chance. In the second half, he also performed a Maradona-esque individual breakthrough, dribbling past five defenders consecutively in the box, only for Eberechi Eze to ultimately miss the opportunity to convert it into a goal.
England coach Thomas Tuchel spoke about Bellingham's starting qualification and performance in this match during the press conference: "I wanted to see the link-up play between Bellingham and Kane, Rice, Anderson, and others."
In addition to providing two key passes and a shot from the edge of the box that grazed the post, Bellingham successfully completed all three of his dribbles, made one successful tackle in midfield, and won four out of five ground duels. After the match, the coach spared no praise: "We clearly demonstrated our inherent team style: off-ball movement, game intensity, high pressing... This was the first time I fielded Bellingham alongside Kane, Elliott, and Rice in midfield. I have witnessed Rodgers' performance in this position many times, but this was Bellingham's first time gelling with this midfield system. He completely embraced our tactical philosophy, actively integrated, and enjoyed it, which is also part of our tactical system. He, like his other teammates, delivered a very high level of performance."
In previous England squad training camps, Aston Villa player Morgan Rogers gradually became a favored choice for Thomas Tuchel. In the 8 European FIFA World Cup qualifiers, he started 5 times. This player under Unai Emery and a friend of Bellingham was originally in the lead for the starting attacking midfielder spot.
Especially last season, he played 55 matches across all competitions for Aston Villa, scoring 14 goals and providing 11 assists. He was in excellent form at the end of the season, ultimately beating out Cole Palmer, Phil Foden, Gibbs-White, and others to make it into the coach's 26-man FIFA World Cup squad.
Before the friendly against Costa Rica, Tuchel's statement also made it seem likely that Rogers would edge out the Real Madrid star for a starting spot: "We have ample practical experience to prove that we can still win without Jude, and that is the most important fact. Bellingham is in excellent form right now, but we cannot overfocus on individual players. The FIFA World Cup cannot be won by Jude alone; that is simply impossible. No one can win the FIFA World Cup alone; we rely on the entire team to compete for glory." However, the actual on-field performance overturned this prediction.
Craig Hope, a Daily Mail journalist who has always been critical of the Real Madrid player, also stated after witnessing it firsthand in Orlando that the No. 10 player deserved to start against Croatia. He wrote: "When Bellingham got his chance to prove himself in Orlando, every move he made exuded superstar presence. He made an interception in less than 30 seconds, setting the tone for himself and the entire team for the whole match, and this was even without the ball."
"When attacking with the ball, his many touches made it clear that he was naturally suited for the big stage. He may not control the game for the entire 90 minutes, but he doesn't need to in his current tactical position. He has enough football intelligence and confidence, always seizing key opportunities. The debate may still exist, but there should be no more questions, Bellingham must start."