Harry Kane might win the Ballon d’Or - but Jude Bellingham has proven he is England’s answer to Lionel Messi with talismanic World Cup displays

It's worth remembering that, just a few weeks ago, there was real debate as to whether Bellingham would even be in the England team. Back then, it was an open competition between him and Morgan Rogers for the role of No.10 in Thomas Tuchel's 4-2-3-1 system.

It made sense, too. Bellingham was in the midst of a disappointing season, both individually and as a collective, for Real Madrid, while Rogers was leading Aston Villa to a European trophy having emerged as one the most devastating attacking midfielders in the Premier League. Tuchel praised Rogers' work-rate, discipline and quality, while using the word 'repulsive' to describe Bellingham in comments that he later had to walk back.

Even in the run-up to the tournament, Tuchel said that Bellingham was merely one of "14-15" starters that he was considering for the opening fixture. Now, though, all that looks a bit silly.

And while there were those who backed Rogers to start England's opening game against Croatia, Bellingham provided an answer - eventually.

The first 30 minutes of Bellingham's World Cup weren't great as England stumbled out of the blocks in Dallas. The connections weren't there, the decision-making in possession was all wrong, and even when England pressed, they did so half-heartedly. Assistant manager Anthony Barry lambasted them on live television at half-time, claiming that England had turned in a "fearful" 45 minutes - despite the fact that they were locked at 2-2 against their strongest Group L opponent.

Bellingham was the one to wake England up, basically dragging the Three Lions to their third goal by making a run behind the defence that Noni Madueke hadn't quite committed to all evening. Bellingham strode with more intent, dribbled with more verve, and finished with more precision than anyone else, to that point, had managed. It was a moment of skill, to be sure. But it was also one of bravado, the act of a player saying, 'Fine, I'll do it'.

From there, Bellingham made a couple of ferocious slide tackles that left a little on his man, while in possession, he drove from midfield and made the right decisions on the ball, all while directing traffic around him.

Bellingham knew this needed to be his moment, and he wasn't about to let it pass him by.

England's second game, against Ghana, felt like a bit of a wash. That game was, more than anything, a defensive masterclass from Carlos Queiroz's side. The veteran coach even admitted post-match that the whole goal of the game, for him, was to frustrate England.

Bellingham was given the Player of the Match award by FIFA, but admitted that it probably should have gone to one of Ghana's defenders for their efforts over 90 minutes. In truth, no one played well for England that day. It was attack versus defence, and defence won out.

With that point, England had already qualified for the round of 32 by Saturday's meeting with Panama, but they needed a win to guarantee they would top the group - and secure a slightly easier path through the knockouts. The first half, however, was a tough watch. Bellingham. for his part, still had his moments, including one particularly satisfying slide tackle to stop a break, and a subsequent scream. Bellingham is an emotional footballer, and it showed there.

In the second half, Bellingham was responsible for both goals. Despite being well-marked at a corner, he stretched a little further, forcing his leg out just enough to reach the ball before the defender and guide it home on the volley. Five minutes later, he made the run beyond Kane that England had been so reluctant to make. From there, he faked one way, then the other before sitting the ball up for Kane, who headed home.

Those moments capped a complete display from England's No.10.

There isn't really an English style of football these days, but there are some familiar tropes that fans can find connections with. Very few countries have developed as many high-effort, athletic, attacking players with swagger, bravado, and leadership prowess as England - especially in recent years.

The easiest comparison for Bellingham, then, is Steven Gerrard, who had a similar sort of steel about him - particularly as a youngster. He, too, tackled harder, ran faster and, well 'wanted it more.' The man himself, however, has admitted that Bellingham is "miles ahead" of where he was in his younger years.

Gerrard, no doubt, remains a Liverpool legend. However, his England record is mixed. Sure, he eclipsed 100 caps and captained his country, but he never delivered in the same way in major tournaments. Was that his failing alone? Of course not. Still, Liverpool fans watched him drag his club side to win after win. That didn't happen in an England shirt - but Bellingham is showing everyone that it is possible.

In fact, England haven't had a virtuosic, game-changing talent for some time now. Kane is England's all-time top goal-scorer, yet his legacy in an England shirt is one of missed penalties at major tournaments and failing to deliver in the biggest of games.

Indeed, one of the questions most often asked following England games is: 'Do they rely on Kane too much?'. It's a silly query - one that Tuchel laughed off less than a week ago - but it does indicate a larger issue, that Kane doesn't always perform enough when the lights are at their brightest.

He, too, is a systems player who relies on everyone else doing a job. Dropping deep, spraying passes, helping out defensively - these are all good things, but they don't always lead to goals.

Not since Wayne Rooney, then, have England had a player who so willingly takes games by the scruff of the neck. In 2004, as an 18-year-old, Rooney set the Euros alight. He scored four, assisted one, and earned a spot in the Team of the Tournament. He broke his foot in the quarter-finals against Portugal, and left England to ponder what might have been had he stayed fit.

And so we return to Bellingham. There is a lineage here that he now feels part of: Paul Gascoigne, young Michael Owen, young David Beckham, young Rooney. These players all showed what they could do in an England shirt - albeit they all fizzled out too soon

Bellingham, however, is putting together quite the resume already. His bicycle kick against Slovakia at Euro 2024 kept England alive in the tournament, while his Real Madrid career, to date, is full of individual moments of class in the biggest of games.

And so at a tournament where Lionel Messi once again showing the value of an out-of-this-world talent among other good but not always great players, Bellingham can be England's answer to the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner. Obviously, there is no comparison to be made between how good at football both men are, but Bellingham - who turned 23 on Monday - can have a similar impact on this England team as Messi continues to have for Argentina.

Bellingham has the potential to do what Gascoigne, Owen, Beckham, Rooney and Gerrard never could. He's good enough to win England a World Cup.