Assists Not Enough to Save the Day! Bellingham’s Herculean Effort Falls Short of Euro Championship; Ballon d’Or Race Wide Open

At 3:00 AM on July 15th, the highly anticipated Euro final kicked off at the Berlin Olympic Stadium. Despite briefly equalizing through Palmer’s goal thanks to Bellingham’s assist, Bellingham was unable to save England from defeat. Oyarzabal’s 86th-minute winner sealed Spain’s fourth European title. With England settling for second place, Bellingham missed out on a golden opportunity to secure the Ballon d’Or.

In the 23/24 season, Bellingham made an immediate impact at Real Madrid, scoring 23 goals and providing 13 assists, leading his team to Champions League, La Liga, and Spanish Super Cup victories, making him a frontrunner for the Ballon d’Or.

Reflecting on this Euro tournament, Bellingham experienced both highs and lows. He started all six games, contributing two goals and one assist, directly involved in three goals. In the round of 16 against Slovakia, it was his equalizer that revived the Three Lions. However, England’s shaky performances in previous matches led some fans to criticize Bellingham for hogging the spotlight, which they believed contributed to the underperformance of Saka, Kane, and even Foden.

In the final, Bellingham played as a left midfielder, delivering a commendable performance. In the first half, he repeatedly intercepted and engaged in duels, preventing England from being overwhelmed. He gained the upper hand in several direct confrontations with Rodri. In the 44th minute, Bellingham dispossessed Carvajal and delivered a square pass into the box, but unfortunately, Kane failed to capitalize.

In the second half, England conceded early. Bellingham was once again called upon in a crisis, offering hope to the Three Lions. In the 73rd minute, Saka advanced down the right flank and passed to Bellingham, who held off Lenoirmand before laying the ball off to Palmer, whose shot found the bottom left corner, leveling the score for England.

Throughout the match, Bellingham played the full 90 minutes. Beyond his assist, he created two shots with his passes, executed two long balls accurately, and successfully completed two dribbles. Additionally, he won nine duels, made two clearances, one tackle, and six interceptions. His post-match rating of 7.6 was the highest among his teammates.

However, sports can be cruel. All of Bellingham’s efforts failed to bring England the Euro title, dealing him a significant blow. Why? Bellingham had the potential to emulate Ronaldo’s feat from 2016 by winning both the Champions League and Euro titles, effectively sealing the Ballon d’Or.

But now, everything has changed. Rodri holds the Euro and Premier League titles and was named the official MVP of the Euro tournament. Given the greater importance of national team success, City’s midfield stalwart now has the upper hand.

Ironically, neither Mbappe, Bellingham, nor Vinicius managed to win either the Euro or Copa America. This plays to Messi’s advantage. If Argentina defeats Colombia to win the Copa America, Messi could potentially claim the Ballon d’Or, much like he did three years ago, by virtue of a significant national team trophy.