Jude Bellingham continuously grimaced and held his left shoulder area in the quarter-final match against Norway on the morning of July 12, making England fans extremely worried ahead of the big battle with Argentina.
At Arrowhead Stadium (Missouri, USA) on July 11, while his teammates were highly focused on the battle with Norway, Jude Bellingham had to face an old obsession once again.
Throughout the match, the star on Real Madrid’s payroll was captured by cameras multiple times tightly holding his left shoulder blade, clearly showing a painful look after fierce challenges.
Right at the moment manager Thomas Tuchel was giving tactical instructions during the water break, Bellingham had a long exchange with the team’s physiotherapist.
This image quickly spread on social media, sparking a wave of anxiety for more than 50 million England fans. Even after the final whistle blew, the 23-year-old midfielder still could not hide his discomfort when approaching the interview area.
In fact, the left shoulder has long been a constant worry for Bellingham. Last summer, he had to undergo surgery to definitively resolve this issue and missed the first 4 matches of the 2025-26 season with Real Madrid in La Liga.
Bellingham himself has more than once admitted to the psychological impact: “The shoulder injury affects my body a lot. Playing while always worrying that if I fall it could recur prevents me from reaching my best form.”
For the 23-year-old striker, winning is no longer taken for granted and he always has to play with a cautious mindset to protect his body from unnecessary injuries.
Along with the worry over Bellingham’s injury, England fans are “on edge” as what lies ahead of them are no longer pleasant opponents, but a grueling semi-final match against Argentina in Atlanta (USA).
With the presence of Lionel Messi on the opponent’s side, manager Thomas Tuchel understands that he needs his strongest squad for this match. Bellingham, with 9 goals for England at major tournaments, is exactly the “hero of every moment” whom the 52-year-old strategist cannot do without.
The medical team of the “Three Lions” is working tirelessly to closely monitor Bellingham’s shoulder joint. Fans are placing their full faith in a lightning-fast recovery so that this star can step onto the pitch to face Messi and his teammates.
If Bellingham is absent or not in his most peak condition, this could be a heavy blow to England’s ambition to advance to the 2026 World Cup final.
The semi-final match between the England national team and Argentina will take place on July 15 at Atlanta stadium (Georgia, USA).
