When Thomas Tuchel first took over from Gareth Southgate as England national team manager, he did not exactly have a great relationship with Jude Bellingham despite the latter being both his biggest gem and the country's best player at the European Championships in 2024 when he nearly carried the Three Lions to mildly surprising glory.
There was even talk about Tuchel not starting Bellingham at this year's World Cup, with many in the media agreeing with that narrative and clamoring for Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers to be the No. 10. Well, Bellingham has sealed his spot as the main man, and whlie he did play deeper in the midfield to accommodate Rogers and still was Man of the Match vs. Panama, he has proven that his best position is closer to the goal where he can win games.
Bellingham just matched another Diego Armando Maradona record, following up his match winning brace vs. Mexico at the venerable Azteca with another brace in Miami, lifting England to a come from behind victory against Norway and his buddy Erling Haaland.
Tuchel has learned to respect Jude
After the game, England manager Thomas Tuchel lit into England as a whole for continuing to play to sloppy and skating by just barely, but he still swallowed his pride and gave Jude Bellingham - a natural born winner like him - the most effusive praise possible.
Tuchel said of his country's best player, via the Madrid Zone, "Jude Bellingham? This is what he does every single game. He is world class."
Real Madrid fans will be smugly saying, "I told you so" to both Tommy Tuchel and the English media that said that Jude Bellingham should not start or that he has an attitude problem or that he is overrated or any of the other wild things that were said about this 23 year old footballer.
Young as he is, Jude has the most heart on the team and a football IQ that can match the other big superstar on England, Harry Kane, with the motor and all around impact to make him an even more crucial player to the Three Lions' success - all the while matching Kane with six goals at this World Cup.
Tuchel had his doubts about Bellingham, but he must have realized somewhere along the way that Jude is a lot like him. Maybe he comes off abrasive, sure, but that is because he wants to win badly. And he backs it up by doing just that.
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