World Cup 2026: Jude Bellingham repeats Maradona's 1986 feat

Jude Bellingham produced a performance reminiscent of Diego Maradona's legendary 1986 World Cup semi-final display against Belgium. The English midfielder's outing in yesterday's knockout match against Mexico has been hailed as a performance that will be remembered for decades.

Bellingham achieved statistics in a World Cup knockout match that global football had not witnessed in this phase of the tournament for exactly 40 years. He became the first player since the iconic Diego Armando Maradona in the 1986 semi-final against Belgium to record this specific statistical line in a World Cup knockout game.

The "stellar" statistics for Bellingham included scoring twice, having three shots on target, completing eight successful dribbles, and winning 10 duels. When a player walks in the footsteps of Maradona, they are no longer just a talented player. Bellingham proved last night that he is ready to write his own "golden" chapter in football history.

“

Jude Bellingham scored twice, had three shots on target, made eight dribbles and won 10 duels last night. He was the first player to produce all of those numbers in a FIFA World Cup knockout match since Diego Maradona in the 1986 semi-final vs Belgium.