'Hey Jude' rings out as Bellingham leads England past Panama

England supporters serenaded Jude Bellingham with The Beatles' "Hey Jude" following the team's 2-0 victory over Panama, a fitting tribute to the player who has become central to England's World Cup campaign. Bellingham's performance was pivotal, as he scored the opening goal and set up Harry Kane for another, ensuring England secured first place in Group L.

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Personally, it was nice to put some of the noise aside and just show my country and my teammates how committed I am to helping us try to win games.

The match saw England dominate possession but struggle to create clear chances for the first hour. Bellingham broke the deadlock in the 62nd minute, forcing the ball home from a corner. Just five minutes later, he delivered a cross for Kane to head in his 11th World Cup goal, an England record. This performance offered a welcome change from Bellingham's challenging season at Real Madrid, which was marred by injury and inconsistency.

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First job achieved. We came here to do it in sections and we got through the pre-games well and we achieved the first job - we got through the group and won it.

Bellingham had previously addressed criticism from some social media users after scoring in England's opening 4-2 win against Croatia. "Personally, it was nice to put some of the noise aside and just show my country and my teammates how committed I am to helping us try to win games," he stated then. On Saturday, England's patient probing finally paid off thanks to Bellingham, dispelling growing concerns about their attacking edge.

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Good performance, happy he is in this kind of shape and everyone did what they needed to do, and Jude was a big part of that.

"First job achieved," Bellingham remarked after the match. "We came here to do it in sections and we got through the pre-games well and we achieved the first job - we got through the group and won it." England manager Tuchel commended Bellingham's impact, stating, "Good performance, happy he is in this kind of shape and everyone did what they needed to do, and Jude was a big part of that." Bellingham also expressed pride in assisting Kane's historic goal, calling him "the best."

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He continues to raise his level and it is incredible. It's everything he deserves. You see the effort he puts in as captain and how he leads us. His quality speaks for itself, he is the best.