It was noticeable, while Jude Bellingham threw his arms in the air in frustration at being substituted, that two other England players in particular made an effort to come over and congratulate or commiserate with him as he left the field: Phil Foden and Harry Kane.
Only days earlier, Thomas Tuchel had suggested Foden and Kane couldn’t be on the pitch at the same time as the Real Madrid star because they don’t complement each other. Yet Bellingham, often portrayed as a loner or a self-obsessed non-team-player, was publicly shown solidarity by England’s captain and the Manchester City forward.
Bellingham is a world-renowned superstar and the poster boy of the national team. As the England squad boarded the team bus in Tirana after the match, it was Bellingham who was mobbed by Albanian fans, security staff and journalists wanting selfies. He obliged each time, polite and accommodating, because this scrutiny is part of his everyday life.
Even Harry Kane — England’s greatest-ever goalscorer, with an extraordinary season tally — doesn’t attract half the attention Bellingham gets. That context matters when judging the 22-year-old’s behaviour. He is, in many ways, the David Beckham, Wayne Rooney or Paul Gascoigne of modern England: icon and tormentor, hero and villain, alternately derided or idolised by the nation and the media.
What really happened when Bellingham was subbed off
Television pictures didn’t capture the full reality when Bellingham was substituted in the 84th minute. From the media tribune you could see he had just sprayed a brilliant 40-yard pass to Marcus Rashford, who delivered a sumptuous cross for Kane to head England’s second goal — all but sealing victory and maintaining a perfect qualifying record of eight wins from eight.
Bellingham ran to high-five Rashford, then celebrated with Kane and teammates. He then noticed his friend Morgan Rogers warming up on the touchline and discovered his time was up. In that moment he threw his arms in the air. It read as clear frustration rather than open dissent. After being acknowledged by team-mates he trotted off, shook hands with Tuchel, who patted him on the backside in a friendly gesture.
Tuchel only became aware of the arm-waving when asked about it at his post-match news conference. “Behaviour is key,” he said. “Respect towards the team-mates who come on. Decisions are made and you have to accept it as a player.” That point is fair; Tuchel has emphasised the importance of substitutes and the squad this week, and the last thing he wants is his highest-profile player appearing petulant or self-interested.
Had the substitution come a few minutes later, and not immediately after Bellingham had played a direct part in the goal, his visible frustration might have been avoided.
Brand Bellingham, Brand Beckham and Team England
Some will say Bellingham has once again proved he is not a team player, that “brand-Bellingham” matters more than Team England. Others will argue they’d be more worried if he were complacent about being taken off, and that his drive and determination are essential if England are to succeed at next summer’s World Cup.
The parallels with David Beckham are striking in how both are portrayed. Beckham was the nation’s villain in 1998 after being sent off against Argentina; he received death threats. A few years later he was the undoubted hero, dragging England to the 2002 World Cup with a defining performance and that famous free‑kick against Greece.
Bellingham has experienced similar swings. He was lauded for keeping England in Euro 2024 with a late overhead kick against Slovakia. By contrast, five months earlier his national team head coach had said his mother sometimes finds him “repulsive.” Hero and villain, personified.
The Madrid maestro will continue to divide opinion, and he will dominate headlines and social media between now and next summer’s tournament. It is striking that more focus has fallen on his reaction to being substituted than on England’s remarkable achievement of winning eight out of eight qualifiers without conceding a goal — that disproportionate focus seems unfair.
But such is the life of a footballing icon.