Lineker makes huge claim about Real Madrid star after World Cup heroics

After two underwhelming seasons with Real Madrid, Jude Bellingham is once again showing his very best level as he continues to star for England in the World Cup 2026. The midfielder, whose call-up to ...

After two underwhelming seasons with Real Madrid, Jude Bellingham is once again showing his very best level as he continues to star for England in the World Cup 2026. The midfielder, whose call-up to the English squad for this tournament was once in doubt, is proving to be the most decisive player for his side. His importance was once again evident last night, as he scored a brace to help England come back from a one-goal deficit and win the quarter-final tie against Norway in extra time.

With this brace, he ensured that Real Madrid is the new record holder as the club whose players have scored the most goals in a single World Cup campaign, i.e., 19. Furthermore, these two goals, which took his tally in this competition to 6, also meant that, along with Gary Lineker and Harry Kane, he became only one of three English players to score more than 5 goals in a World Cup. As ESPN has reported, one of these two players whose esteemed company he joined with his latest goals, Gary Lineker, had some very special words of praise for the Real Madrid midfielder as he spoke to The Rest is Football podcast.

The former English forward had no qualms in calling Bellingham a potential candidate to become the greatest player in English football history: “I would go as far as to say I think there’s a chance that I think he could well be, or end up being, England’s greatest ever footballer. And that is a big shout.” “We’ve had some really great players.

Some of them have not necessarily done it for their country, others have... Go back to people like Bobby Charlton obviously, I would say would have to be up there.” “You would put Harry Kane in that bracket and there are other players as well, but I think at this age, to be doing what he’s doing and grabbing England by the scruff and getting them over the line, that is superstar.” There is no doubt that Jude Bellingham has been one of the very top performers in this World Cup.

Hopefully, these performances will help him regain confidence, if he had lost any during the last few seasons. The new Merengue coach Jose Mourinho would be delighted with his performances, but would have to work out a system in which he can get the best out of the Englishman for Real Madrid, while also catering to the needs of other superstars in the team.