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Birmingham City have produced no shortage of talented footballers over the decades, but none have risen quite as far, quite as fast, as Jude Bellingham. The World Cup 2026 odds reflect England’s standing as one of the tournament’s serious contenders, and Bellingham, now 22, is expected to be central to Thomas Tuchel’s plans in North America this summer.
Here is a look at how Bellingham went from Birmingham City’s academy to the biggest stage in world football, and what his involvement could mean for England at the 2026 World Cup.
The Birmingham City foundation
Bellingham came through the ranks at Birmingham City, progressing through the club’s academy system before earning a place in the first team. His senior debut came in the Carabao Cup against League One side Portsmouth, and in making that appearance, he became the youngest player in Birmingham City’s history. He went on to score in the Championship against Stoke City, becoming the club’s youngest-ever scorer as well, and it quickly became clear that the Blues had someone exceptional on their hands.
Within a single season at Birmingham City, Bellingham had already attracted significant attention from clubs across Europe. He left for Borussia Dortmund in 2020 in a deal that would eventually exceed £30m, a record sale for the club. Birmingham City later retired the number 22 shirt in his honour.
The England breakthrough
Bellingham made his senior England debut in November 2020 in a 3-0 friendly win over the Republic of Ireland, and the progress from that point was relentless. Bellingham was part of Gareth Southgate’s squad for Euro 2020 the following summer, featuring in the tournament as England reached the final, and also became the youngest player at the competition. It was an early indication of where his international career was heading.
By the time Qatar hosted the 2022 World Cup, he was no longer a fringe presence. He started all five of England’s matches in the tournament, operating as one of the most important players in the side throughout. That level of involvement at a World Cup, at that stage of his career, underlined exactly why the hype surrounding him from his Birmingham City days had never felt excessive.
Euro 2024 brought another standout moment. When England faced Slovakia in the last 16, Bellingham produced a stoppage-time bicycle kick to force extra time and keep England’s campaign alive. He started every match at that tournament, including the final against Spain in Berlin. By the end of the summer, he had 46 caps for England and had scored at two consecutive major tournaments.
Life at Real Madrid
Bellingham’s club career has followed an equally steep upward curve. He moved from Borussia Dortmund to Real Madrid, and in his first two seasons at the Bernabeu, he scored 41 goals in 111 appearances while winning La Liga and the Champions League. He was voted into the team of the season for the Bundesliga and then La Liga in successive campaigns, and won the England men’s Player of the Year award for the 2024-25 season.
The World Cup picture
Heading into the 2026 tournament, Bellingham’s position in England’s squad is not quite the formality it once seemed. Thomas Tuchel has been willing to leave him out of squads and rotate him out of starting line-ups, with Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers competing for the number 10 role. Those who want to bet on England will be aware that the question of how Tuchel uses Bellingham could be one of the most significant tactical decisions the German makes before the tournament begins.
Bellingham’s own history at major tournaments offers a clue. He has played sporadically before big competitions throughout his career, only to become central once the games start mattering most. His pattern under both Gareth Southgate and now Tuchel has been one of inconsistent involvement in the build-up, followed by prominence when the stakes are highest. If that pattern holds in North America, England will have one of the most complete midfielders in the world at their disposal. For a player who first made his name at a Championship club in Birmingham, that is some story to tell.