The 22-year-old attacking midfielder ran, tackled and scored against Croatia, then savoured the victory on the Dallas pitch as 'Hey Jude', the famous Beatles song often belted out by his fans, both for the national team and at Real Madrid, played over the speakers.
Speaking to the BBC, who asked him about the criticism he faced this season, he made no attempt to hide his delight.
"For me, it was nice to turn down that background noise a bit and show my country, my teammates, just how determined I am to help us win football matches", he said, openly admitting: "I've got a bit of a point to prove".
The England number 10 is coming off a season less successful than the last, mainly due to injuries: hamstring problems in February and March, and a persistent issue with his left shoulder that led to surgery last summer, resulting in several weeks on the sidelines.
Tuchel, cold then warm
He returned to action in September, declaring himself fit for national duty, but manager Thomas Tuchel kept him waiting during the October international break. "He hasn't yet found his rhythm at Real Madrid", he explained.
The German's comments at the same press conference, where he spoke of "building a team" rather than simply picking "the most talented players", certainly caught the young England international's attention.
Tuchel has, in fact, repeatedly warned Bellingham about what he sees as his impulsive and sometimes individualistic temperament.
In 2025, the former PSG and Chelsea coach even went so far as to say that his mother found the attacking midfielder's behaviour on the pitch "a bit disgusting", before apologising for his choice of words.
After the first World Cup match, despite a mistake that led to Croatia's opening goal, the manager had nothing but praise for him.
"You can count on Jude in those moments, he loves these high-pressure games, they bring out the best in him", he said, highlighting the qualities of a player "fully committed to the team spirit, togetherness and the way we want to play".
"Debate over"
There was much debate in England over whether Tuchel should hand the number 10 shirt - and with it, the keys to the attack - to the Real Madrid player, or to his rival Morgan Rogers, or even Cole Palmer before the squad was announced.
"I can't believe some people doubted Bellingham", exclaimed former international Ian Wright on ITV after the win over Croatia.
"The Jude Bellingham debate is over", added Gary Neville, another star pundit for the English broadcaster.
Even Rogers admitted that "everyone wants to play, any substitute will say the same, but Jude is one of the best players in the world, I know that. And if we want to succeed in this tournament, he has to be one of our driving forces".
Bellingham is playing in his second World Cup, already has two European Championships to his name, and is set to win his 50th cap for the Three Lions on Tuesday, still aged just 22.
"He still has a long career ahead of him, but it really feels like he's already a key player for us", summed up Dan Burn, the 34-year-old defender with eight caps, speaking from Kansas City on Saturday.
The Newcastle player described his young teammate as the one "who sets the tone", more often than not.
"If he dives into a tackle after three minutes, it gives you this energy, like 'Wow, Jude's really up for it today.' You feel you have to raise your own game a bit - he just has that about him".
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World Cup 2026
The 2026 World Cup will be held from June 11th to July 19th in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The tournament will feature 48 national teams and will be played in 16 modern stadiums.
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