Jude Bellingham, somehow, keeps going to new levels. And it is almost by force of his will alone that a stumbling England reach just their fourth-ever World Cup semi-final.
The greatest stage in the game is now within reach, and Bellingham looks more than ready for it.
It was another double from the No. 10, only escalating his excellence from Mexico that secures a 2-1 comeback against Norway. That takes him to six goals and right up there with Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi, but such trivia is mere detail against the manner in which he defined this game, decided it and bailed out his team.
“We need to be better,” Thomas Tuchel said. It’s hard to see how Bellingham can be.
There was even a symbolism in how poor Erling Haaland went off at half-time of extra-time, just as the fates were being decided by Bellingham.
The great striker was in tears.
Norway have done themselves proud, properly creating a national moment, but they will feel they could have done more.
That was why Bellingham’s performance was even more special than against Mexico, despite that being amid the rarefied air of the Azteca rather than the extreme humidity of Miami.
Where there’d been heavy legs, he carried the weight.
Where there’d been a problem, he offered the solution.
Where there’d been real confusion, he offered clarity.
And that last point is maybe the most important. That is where there remains significant concern for Thomas Tuchel, even as the games for those worries to be borne out run out.
Bellingham offering more supernova moments in a World Cup of stars fits an exhilarating theme of this tournament, but also a less encouraging theme of England’s campaign.
One of the reasons that such individuals are needed is because so many teams are so dysfunctional. It can be said for virtually everyone on this side of the draw, and is especially true of its first semi-finalists.
If that sounds harsh when England reaching the semi-final has been so relatively rare in history, it is relevant when you do have grander aspirations.
The very details of this game illustrate that.
England ultimately have a range of players appearing at a much higher level than Norway, with far superior technical quality, and much greater strength in depth… and yet they allowed this to become a battle where they probably deserved to go out.
They were even long periods, especially in the second half, when Norway looked better on the ball and enjoyed much more possession.
How couldn’t they when England had a centre-back at right-back, a right-back in central midfield, a No. 10 out on the left and at least three different central combinations?
A slight twist on that is that it was a player who was originally a right-back, now playing at left-back, who was probably the best performer after Bellingham.
Djed Spence, who has occasionally come in for criticism in this World Cup, offered drive and purpose when England badly needed it.
He might even have brought a penalty, had that fall not been overturned.
On the whole, though, it was like Tuchel had to keep correcting his own mistakes.
That is not the first time at this World Cup but it’s never been so distinctive or self-inflicted.
With the game in the balance and Norway enjoying midfield superiority due to Declan Rice’s fitness issues, Tuchel inexplicably introduced a playmaker in Eberechi Eze.
England swiftly went from midfield inferiority to ceding the area altogether. It had a huge knock-on effect, that involved a series of subs further destabilising England.
There were so many evident problems.
England, again, just had the solution right there already on the pitch. Bellingham was there.
He didn’t just impose his individual brilliance, but his drive carried England.
That was the story of this game.
How else to describe the first goal, in particular, when England were looking especially vulnerable?
They had seemed panicked after Andreas Schjelderup had given Norway a fortuitous lead, after his attempted cross wrong-footed – or perhaps wrong-handed – Jordan Pickford. The goalkeeper has played above himself over four previous tournaments for England, to the extent a sense has grown that a drop-off has been due. This, if England are lucky, might have been it.
He was never right after that.
England didn’t look right.
Bellingham corrected course.
Just before half-time, with Norway defiantly trying to just make it to the break with the lead, but Bellingham had other ideas.
He carried the ball with purpose just outside the box, held off two challenges, and powered it past Orjan Nyland.
The entire goal was a distillation of desire, of just now allowing this to happen.
There was some controversy over whether Nyland’s kick-out might have bizarrely hit the overhead TV cable but Fifa insisted the ball sensor did not pick up anything.
Whatever the truth about that, there was no doubt about Bellingham’s alertness.
With the game finally in extra-time, with everyone looking leggy, but he was still sharp.
If Pickford might have felt like he was due an error, the feeling had been all the greater with Norway’s career back-up keeper. So it proved.
When he was finally tested through a stinging Morgan Rogers strike, there was the slip, just like Senne Lammens, and there was Bellingham.
He was first to it, and beyond anyone on the pitch.
Where Haaland had been so quiet, everyone was left to belt out “Hey Jude”.
Tuchel still has so much to consider. Bellingham brings clarity – and a place in the World Cup semi-final.
