There are stages in world football and then there are stages, where the pressure crushes some and elevates others.
One again, Jude Bellingham has shown he belongs in that second group. If this had been a one-off, then maybe little could be read into his latest star El Clasico turn.
But the England midfielder has now been involved in six goals in eight games against Barcelona.
He scored twice in his first Clasico two years ago, and on Sunday became the youngest Real Madrid player this century to score and assist in a match against their fiercest of rivals.
For Madrid’s opener, Bellingham was surrounded by three Barca players when playing the perfect through ball for Kylian Mbappe, who did the rest.
Bellingham then had the simplest of tap-ins to put Real back ahead before half-time, the 22-year-old cooly celebrating by walking away from goal to a crescendo of noise from the Bernabeu fans. It proved to be his third winning goal against Barcelona.
“Talk is cheap,” Bellingham posted afterwards, a clear dig at Barca’s 18-year-old superstar Lamine Yamal who had stoked the fire pre-match when claiming Madrid are a team that “steals and complains”.
Yamal’s comments had visibly irked Madrid players, with tempers boiling over at full-time when Madrid captain Dani Carvajal gestured to his Spain teammate that he talks too much.
It all added to the theatre on perhaps club football’s biggest stage, where ultimately Bellingham took the reins and played the lead, channelling any ire by doing the talking where it matters.
So, are you watching Thomas Tuchel?
Jude Bellingham strikes in ElClásico!
— Premier Sports (@PremSportsTV) October 26, 2025
Real Madrid regain their lead against Barcelona as the midfielder taps in
𝑃𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑏𝑦 @sbk | 18+ | 𝑃𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑒 𝐺𝑎𝑚𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑅𝑒𝑠𝑝𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑏𝑙𝑦 pic.twitter.com/eXQ7WFB8Zn
This won’t have passed the England manager by, and it would surpass any decision so far if Tuchel ignores Bellingham when naming his next squad for the November double-header against Serbia and Albania.
Tuchel had spoke of squad unity when leaving Bellingham out of his October selection, insisting he was rewarding the players who had dismantled Serbia in September as opposed to singling out those overlooked.
“He is a special player, and for special players there can always be special rules,” Tuchel said of Bellingham, before adding he has no “problem” with Phil Foden or Jack Grealish either.
The basis of Bellingham’s omission, Tuchel stressed, was the fact the midfielder had made just one start for Madrid since returning from injury.
No longer, then, can that be a reason. Since the international break, Bellingham has started all three games, playing 266 minutes and also scoring the winner in Madrid’s Champions League match against Juventus last week to maintain their perfect start in the league phase.
It has been an emphatic response, and a reminder of the scenarios Bellingham can dominate – with a swagger to boot.
England need this. They will need it at the World Cup, once/if they reach the knockout stages, and as he showed against Slovakia in the last 16 at Euro 2024, Bellingham can come up clutch for his country as well (and while it is a blur for many, it is worth remembering he assisted Cole Palmer for the equaliser in the final against Spain, too).
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He is a player for the big occasion. It brings the best out of him, and however impressive Morgan Rogers’ performances have been for England of late, the Aston Villa midfielder cannot match Bellingham for experience in those moments.
Against Andorra, Wales, Latvia. That is all well and good, but standing out in a star-studded El Clasico is what separates Bellingham from his No 10 contenders.
This match is perhaps the closest club encounter that can replicate the scenario England will want to find themselves on 19 July next year.
And while supporters can see this – they voted Bellingham the England men’s player of the year earlier this month – now it’s on Tuchel to see it too.
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