Of all England’s great Black footballers, none has been the defining figure of the national side – until now | Calum Jacobs

Bellingham has transcended the hostility he has faced from press and pundits to become the emotional and symbolic focal point of the team Months before the World Cup, the familiar chorus of antipathy that had followed Jude Bellingham almost since his emergence on the international stage grew louder. A number of writers, pundits and former professionals questioned whether one of England’s most gifted footballers might prove detrimental to the squad’s harmony. The clearest expression of these arguments appeared in a Daily Mail article in November 2025 beneath one of the most ignominious headline

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