Jude Bellingham in full flow was a sight Wembley was getting used to. Bent forward, ball almost dangling from her tense toes, dynamic yet perfectly balanced. Then came Brazil. Nice game? Joga acorn? This evening does not happen. Meet the tactical foul instead: Bellingham’s supine stance during the 1-0 defeat was a rather unnerving sight.
Brazil did not allow Wembley to repeat Bellingham’s peerless performance against Italy last October; This night of fearlessness and youth has rightly left England dreaming of a special breakthrough at the Euros this summer. Brazil realized that they had a real star at the heart of England: a Galactico they had to call their own, along with Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo. But his future Real Madrid team-mate Bellingham was already on the bench when the precocious Endrick scored the winning goal at the end of a friendly at Wembley that went to waste but never quite managed to materialise. It would not be an exaggeration to say that he was kicked off the field.
It was such a night, it was emphasized from the very first moment. Bellingham’s arc to receive the ball was a warning sign for Brazil; this indicated a threat that needed to be extinguished. At one stage in the first half, centre-back Lucas Beraldo jumped from his defensive spot and hit the back of Bellingham’s legs. Other fouls in midfield bore the appearance of tactical diversity: a game plan that the injury-weakened visitors lacked subtlety but proved effective. With 21 goals and 11 assists in 34 games for England and Real Madrid this season, not many teams have managed to slow down Bellingham and limit his threat. But Brazil achieved this.
To be fair, it does take some effort. Bellingham has the ability to advance through contact and maintain graceful strides despite kicks and nibbles on his ankles, turning smoothly, handling challenges and staying with the ball attached to his feet. Brazil almost managed to avoid a series of fouls on Bellingham at the behest of the old-school Dorival Junior, the last resident of the Selecao’s head coach, but it was a rotation that would likely bring about a second rotation. The warning to West Ham’s Lucas Paqueta was that the fixture was competitive in name and nature.
Bellingham had the ear of Portuguese referee Artur Ribeiro Soares Dias, no doubt as a result of the harsh treatment he was subjected to during 45 frustrating minutes as he returned to the dressing rooms at half-time. The situation did not improve after the break and Bellingham, who went down with cramp following a late run to the back post in the Brazilian penalty area, was substituted midway through the second half. As Harry Kane also watched injured, it left England without one of their two pillars; both have had success abroad this season in Munich and Madrid; He will be key if Southgate leads England to Euro glory this summer.
That in itself was a warning as England suffered their first defeat since the World Cup quarter-final against France in Qatar. Bellingham is still only 20 years old, despite his status and aura that has impressed Brazilian fans in Wembley’s corner. While Kane is up front and can absorb some of the attention and strikes, it’s Bellingham’s. set. But it was a night that suggested England and Southgate now need a plan in case Euro rival teams inevitably target Bellingham, whether through harsh treatment or otherwise. If Brazil can achieve this, there will be no side in Germany that won’t try the same thing next summer.
Against Brazil, England always needed others to step in. Phil Foden, who had the best season of his career at Manchester City, showed his renewed spirit in the early stages but failed. Anthony Gordon and Ollie Watkins had their time but seemed almost resigned to Bellingham, struggling to operate with the determination and precision required without Kane or Bukayo Saka. Of course, returning those absentees to a starting lineup that includes Bellingham and Foden eases the burden. Perhaps the truth was that tonight Southgate actually learned something new from those who were unlikely to start for him anyway.
This wasn’t classic Brazil – Joelinton was injured, after all – but the inexperienced squad Dorival selected managed to crack something beneath England’s surface. They did so while still sparkling: Paqueta’s touches, Vinicius Jr’s explosions and Rodrygo’s elusiveness were a delight from start to finish. England were mostly good at Wembley and there is still excitement about the fact that they have their own star who can send the same waves into the stands when he gets on the ball. But Brazil didn’t want to hear it. And they did it victoriously.