Bellingham and Kane Begin to Click as England Eye DRC Test
England’s attacking play has been one of the more frustrating storylines of the group stage at World Cup 2026, but there are signs that Thomas Tuchel is finding an answer — and it runs through the partnership between Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane.
According to The Guardian, Kane has been in fine individual form under Tuchel, scoring 13 goals across 17 matches since the German took charge. The problem has been that virtually no one else has contributed consistently — no outfield player has managed more than three goals in that same period. Against Croatia and Ghana in the group stage, Kane found the net from a penalty and a header, but chances created for him in open play were scarce.
Perhaps the most telling detail was who was actually passing to Kane in those early games. The Guardian reports that Jordan Pickford was among the joint-leading contributors of passes to Kane against Croatia, with just three. That is not exactly the dynamic attacking interplay England’s coaching staff would have had in mind.
The Panama game appeared to shift things. Bellingham needed only two passes to Kane to have a significant impact — quality over quantity very much the theme. Opta data cited by The Guardian shows that Bellingham’s passes in that match carried an expected assists value of 0.57, the highest recorded by any England player in a single group game. Only Noni Madueke came close, accumulating 0.66 across all three group matches combined.
What makes the Bellingham–Kane dynamic so interesting is how underused it has been until now. The Guardian notes that entering the Panama fixture, the pair had combined for just one international goal — a friendly against Scotland at Hampden Park in 2023 — despite sharing 1,154 minutes of pitch time at major tournaments. A near-identical through ball unlocked the Panama defence on Wednesday, setting up Kane for what Opta classified as England’s first big chance of that game after 56 goalless minutes.
Within ten minutes of that moment, Bellingham had also won a corner, scored from it, and assisted Kane for a second. England’s attack suddenly looked like something worth fearing.
The next challenge is replicating that sharpness against the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a side expected to sit in a deep defensive block. Tuchel will need Bellingham to find those pockets of space consistently, not just in flashes. Keep an eye on the live standings as England’s last-16 tie approaches.
For now, though, England fans have reason to believe that two of their most important players are finally operating on the same wavelength at the right moment.