Jude Bellingham has likened himself to Cristiano Ronaldo after scoring a sensational overhead kick to rescue England in their round of 16 clash against Slovakia at Euro 2024. The Three Lions were on the brink of elimination until Bellingham found the back of the net in the 95th minute, forcing the game into extra time. Harry Kane then secured the victory with a goal in the first minute of extra time, and he later hailed Bellingham’s strike as one of England’s greatest moments.
Reflecting on his goal, Bellingham admitted that he felt like Ronaldo while he was in the air. He compared his acrobatic effort to the former Real Madrid forward’s iconic overhead kick in the 2018 Champions League final. Speaking on England’s ‘Diary Room’ show, Bellingham said, “It was really instinct more than anything. It kind of fell in the perfect spot, and it was a little bit behind me. When I was in the air, I thought, ‘I’m six feet off the ground, and it’s like Ronaldo!’ But I’ve watched it back, and I still had one hand on the ground, so it wasn’t the most acrobatic. But it was a nice contact. Definitely one of the most important and memorable moments of my career so far.”
The England team’s performance drew comparisons to their disappointing exit at the hands of Iceland in Euro 2016 until Bellingham’s heroics. His goal was their first shot on target in the match. Reflecting on how close they came to elimination, Bellingham praised the team’s belief for pulling through. He said, “It was an emotional rollercoaster really, and probably not the most enjoyable way that you want to win a game. You want [to] feel comfortable and in control, but you’ve got to find ways to win, even if it means overhead kicks in 90 plus five minutes. The difference in emotion is huge – one minute you’re dead and buried, as I saw the Slovakia bench all ready to run on, and you feel a bit disheartened and a bit gutted. It’s not the way I would’ve wanted it to end – I’m having a good time here with all the lads and the staff and one moment later, it all changes. You start believing that we could create one more chance and, luckily, we got it in.”
England will now face Switzerland in the quarter-finals on Saturday. If they progress, they will face either the Netherlands or Turkiye in the semi-finals.
