As Jordan Pickford punched away the umpteenth Mexican cross and the Australian official blew the final whistle, Jude Bellingham collapsed in victory inside the England penalty area. Battered, bruised, exhausted. Sometimes, the Real Madrid midfielder’s histrionics are a tad questionable. Not this time.
The magnitude of the stage – the World Cup’s most iconic stadium – was inescapable. England were public enemy No 1, facing the co-hosts in their near-impenetrable fortress. And at an altitude of 7,200m, Bellingham did not catch his breath: he was simply breathless.
Nobody rose to the occasion more than England’s talismanic attacking midfielder on Sunday night. And it wasn’t just his goals, which were brilliant by the way. It was his last-ditch tackles, his phenomenal hold-up play, his output off the ball, his motivational barks at his teammate, his wondrous quick feet.
And as the big screens cut to Bellingham amidst the downpour of the pre-match warm-up and he looked up, a wipe of his brow perhaps foreshadowed the 90 minutes ahead. His inference was simple: this was to be his stage.
Whether it be a debut in El Clásico, a Champions League final or major international tournaments, nothing brings the best out of Bellingham – still only 23 years of age, the youngest England player ever to reach 50 caps – like the grandest of arenas.