What Jude Bellingham's World Cup Can Teach Young Footballers

Just a few weeks ago, there were plenty of people questioning whether Jude Bellingham should even be starting for England.

Fast forward to this weekend, and he's scored twice against Norway to send England into the World Cup semi-finals. 

So what changed?

Probably not as much as people think.

One of the biggest mistakes young players make is allowing one performance—or one opinion—to define how they see themselves.

As coaches, we hear it all the time.

"I'm playing terribly."

"I'm out of form."

The interesting thing is that we don't always agree.

Sometimes we actually enjoy seeing players struggle.

Not because we want them to fail, but because we know they're trying something that's difficult. Those moments often tell us a breakthrough is just around the corner. A player who's attempting skills they've never had the confidence to try before will inevitably make more mistakes before they improve.

That's development.

Jude Bellingham is a brilliant example of why confidence isn't built when everything goes your way.

It's built when things don't.

Despite still being incredibly young, he's already experienced setbacks that many players never recover from. He narrowly missed out on titles with Borussia Dortmund. He's been criticised by the media. Before this tournament, there were even debates about whether he should be in England's starting team.

Yet every time he's responded.

Every positive performance after a setback reinforces the confidence he first built as a young player. Confidence isn't pretending you've never failed—it's knowing you've failed before and come back stronger.

That's something every young footballer can learn from.

If a player tells me they're "out of form", one of the first things I'll ask is:

"What do you actually mean by form?"

Quite often, they're measuring it purely by goals, assists or results.

But football is much bigger than that.

Maybe they're making better decisions.

Maybe they're using their weaker foot more often.

Maybe they're taking on challenges they would've avoided six months ago.

Those things are signs of progress too.

One phrase that gets repeated in football is:

"Form is temporary."

It's a cliché because there's truth in it.

When confidence takes a knock, go back to the basics. Focus on the things you can control rather than worrying about the outcome. More often than not, good performances follow.

Today's young players also face something previous generations didn't.

Social media means criticism is available almost instantly. Many players check their phones as soon as they leave the pitch. Even if they avoid social media themselves, friends can still send them comments, ratings or clips of mistakes.

Years ago, criticism might have appeared in a newspaper the next morning. Today, it's in your pocket within minutes.

That's why it's more important than ever that young players learn not to let other people's opinions define them.

Jude Bellingham's two goals against Norway don't suddenly make him a great player.

He already was one.

Likewise, a poor performance never suddenly makes a young player a bad one.

The players who fulfil their potential aren't the ones who never lose confidence.

They're the ones who learn how to rebuild it every time it's challenged.