At just 22, Bellingham is the kind of midfielder who can change a match in almost any way, carrying the ball through pressure, arriving late in the box, setting the tempo, or just dragging his team emotionally into the fight. England manager Thomas Tuchel sees Bellingham as one of the central figures in this team, even while pushing him to play with a little more discipline and economy.
If fully healthy, he can be one of the tournament’s true superstars. At Real Madrid he has demonstrated his versatility, contributing as a dangerous goalscorer in his first season and taking a deeper, more creative role at times this season.
For England, that versatility is a huge part of the intrigue. It should allow him to pair well with the hard-working anchor of the English midfield, Declan Rice. Bellingham can be the best player on the field without dominating the stat line, and that is often the mark of a true tournament star. If England make the kind of run their talent suggests they should, it is easy to imagine Bellingham being at the center of almost every big moment.