The Real Madrid midfielder was level with both Gary Lineker – who scored six times at Mexico ’86 – and team-mate Harry Kane, who netted six in Russia in 2018 and at this tournament.
Bellingham, 23, was brought on in the 79th minute and scored with the final kick of the game, leading a counter-attack from the halfway line to the France box before beating a defender and slotting into the bottom corner.
“He has such confidence in his own ability,” former England midfielder Danny Murphy told BBC One during the match. “The patience, the skill, the shot. What a goal from England’s best player.”
Twelve minutes earlier he had looked set to take a penalty but instead handed the ball to Bukayo Saka who converted to seal his hat-trick.
After the match, Saka told BBC One: “No, Jude [Bellingham] was never taking it. He was the first one to say go and get your hat-trick, so none of them came to distract me. I was always going to take it.”
Barco, who did not play in the game, came on to the pitch at full-time and was hugging team-mates near Bellingham when the England midfielder walked over and slapped him.
It sparked a small melee as players from both sides got involved before Bellingham walked away.
It is not known what prompted the reaction, but footage showed Barco running on the pitch after Enzo Fernandez’s 85th-minute equaliser and celebrating in front of the England players.
Lautaro Martinez headed the winner for Argentina in the second minute of stoppage time, ending the hopes of an England side who had taken an early second-half lead through Anthony Gordon’s goal.
Barco, 21, who plays for French side Strasbourg and previously had a spell at Brighton, has featured once at the tournament as a second-half substitute in a 3-1 group win against Jordan.
The first half of Wednesday’s match in Atlanta was feisty with 19 fouls, as American referee Ismail Elfath struggled to keep control.
Bellingham, who has scored six goals in the tournament, also had a confrontation with Argentina captain Lionel Messi in the fourth minute after England midfielder Elliot Anderson had been fouled.
“We were really just discussing a foul, actually,” Bellingham is reported to have said. after the match.
“It wasn’t anything bad. I’m sure everyone will do their thing and make it a big deal, but it was nothing.”
Jude Bellingham has been the best player at the World Cup so far, says former England striker Wayne Rooney.
Real Madrid midfielder Bellingham has scored six goals in six games for England, leaving him only two behind France’s Kylian Mbappe and Argentina’s Lionel Messi in the Golden Boot standings.
Erling Haaland, whose Norway side were eliminated by England in the quarter-finals, is on seven while Three Lions captain Harry Kane is level with Bellingham.
England play Messi’s Argentina on Wednesday in the second semi-final (20:00 BST). The match is live on BBC One, BBC iPlayer, the BBC Sport website and app, and BBC Radio 5 Live.
“In terms of best in the world I think you’re looking at someone like Mbappe or Haaland,” Rooney said on The Wayne Rooney Show.
“Bellingham hasn’t quite hit those levels at Real Madrid this season, but he’s been the best player in the tournament for me.”
Bellingham, 23, has become a big-game player for England – with nine goals and three assists in World Cups and European Championships.
His Real Madrid team-mate Mbappe – with 12 – is the only European player to have scored more than nine goals in a major tournament before the age of 24.
Bellingham has averaged a goal or assist every 138 minutes at major tournaments for England, compared to one every 284 minutes in other international matches.
He scored in the group wins over Croatia and Panama at this World Cup, then twice against both Mexico and Norway in the knockout stage.
“With Jude, it’s all about energy, passion, desire, drive and that’s how he’s getting his rewards,” said Rooney.
“That’s very rare to have that. A lot of these top players rely on the ability and the technique to get their moments. Jude has desire and hunger and it’s so refreshing to see a player playing the toughest game but also doing it.
“That’s what fans want, especially the England fans. They want to see players running and working for the team and for the badge.
“He reminds me of me in terms of one minute you’re thinking, ‘this lad’s a genius’, and the next minute you’re thinking, ‘don’t go into that tackle, don’t get sent off’.
“It’s exactly how I was. But he’s obviously backing it up in the biggest tournament. There were doubters before but he’s put all that to bed.”
A station in southeast London has been temporarily renamed Jude Bellingham Station before England faces off with Argentina in a seismic semi-final World Cup showdown. Fans hope the star midfielder can help England through to their first World Cup final since 1966.
Jude Bellingham was England’s hero once more by scoring twice as the Three Lions came from behind to end Norway’s historic run and reach the World Cup semifinals with a 2-1 win after extra-time.
In their first ever quarterfinal, Andreas Schjelderup fired Norway into a shock lead in the searing Miami heat on Saturday.
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But Bellingham, who also netted a double in a memorable 3-2 over Mexico in the last 16, produced a moment of magic to equalise just before half-time.
Norway had a second goal controversially disallowed after a VAR review in the second half for a foul by Erling Haaland as both sets of players were pushed to their physical limits by going to extra-time.
Bellingham came up with another big moment for the winner as he pounced on an error by Orjan Nyland to sweep in his sixth goal of the tournament.
England will face Argentina or Switzerland on Wednesday for the chance to reach a first World Cup final in 60 years.
Haaland’s spectacular run of scoring in his last 14 competitive matches for Norway came to an end against the land of his birth with Norway’s exhausted talisman replaced at half-time of extra-time.
Having failed to win a World Cup knockout game after conceding first since the final of 1966 before this tournament, England have now done so twice in three matches.
Energy-sapping heat
Harry Kane’s heroics prevented an embarrassing early exit to the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the last 32.
But it is Bellingham who has stood up in the past two matches to keep England in the hunt to end their long wait for major tournament glory despite far from flawless performances.
The 5pm local time (21:00 GMT) kickoff in Florida meant that temperatures remained above 30 degrees Celsius (86 Fahrenheit) throughout, with intense humidity making for draining conditions for the players.
The heat looked as if it would spoil the spectacle in the first half.
Thomas Tuchel’s men were rattled as England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford saved low from Martin Odegaard before Alexander Sorloth wasted a glorious chance when he failed to feed Haaland and instead went for goal himself.
Almost immediately Bellingham pulled his team out of the mire once more.
Bellingham had been well marshalled until he collected Anthony Gordon’s pass, burst into the box at speed and then slotted home on his weaker left foot.
Momentum was suddenly in England’s favour and they nearly went into the break ahead.
Bellingham was this time the creator for Kane, who dinked the ball coolly over Nyland, but had just drifted offside.
Tuchel introduced Bukayo Saka and Eberechi Eze at the break for the ineffective Noni Madueke and Declan Rice – the Arsenal midfielder had been suffering with illness earlier in the week.
But those changes left England light in midfield and they were left hanging on at spells in the second half.
Torbjorn Heggem made the most of some sloppy defending to turn in at the back post, but Haaland was penalised for a push on new Manchester City teammate Elliott Anderson before the corner had been taken, and the goal was disallowed.
Norway were inches away from a winner again when Kristoffer Ajer hit the bar after England fail to deal with another dangerous corner.
Both sides visibly wilted in the energy-sapping conditions late on but were forced to endure an extra 30 minutes.
Nyland had been Norway’s supporting act in the last 16 win over Brazil with a series of saves before Haaland struck twice late on for a landmark victory.
This time the Sevilla goalkeeper was the villain as he spilled substitute Morgan Rogers’ shot from distance and Bellingham pounced and scored.
England were awarded a penalty moments later, but this time VAR intervened in Norway’s favour to deem Djed Spence had initiated contact inside the box.
Yet, Norway’s spirit was already crushed, epitomised by a slouched Haaland watching on from the bench with nothing more to give.
Tuchel said his side was “lucky” to emerge with the win.
“We made life very, very difficult for ourselves today. The result is fantastic. We are in the last four. It’s amazing but not happy with the performance,” he told ITV.
“The commitment is there but we made life difficult for ourselves in the way we played – sloppy, a lot of technical mistakes, not fast enough, not repetitive enough. We were lucky today.
“It’s about the quality – we need to play better. We will get better [in the semifinal]. We need to.”
England hands Mexico their first World Cup loss at Estadio Azteca, winning 3-2 to reach the 2026 quarterfinals.
Published On 6 Jul 20266 Jul 2026
Jude Bellingham’s double inflicted a rare defeat on Mexico at their Estadio Azteca as 10-man England won a nerve-racking World Cup classic 3-2 to reach the quarterfinals.
Harry Kane also scored from the penalty spot as the Three Lions overcame Jarell Quansah’s red card, high altitude, and a fervent home support on Sunday to keep their quest for a first major tournament win in 60 years alive.
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England have relied on Bellingham and Kane throughout the tournament, and the duo has carried them into a last-eight showdown with Erling Haaland’s Norway.
Bellingham struck twice in 98 seconds in the first half to condemn Mexico to just a third defeat in 90 matches at the Azteca.
Julian Quinones and Raul Jimenez reduced the Mexican arrears, but they fell short of a place in the quarterfinals.
Victory also helped to erase some of England’s nightmarish memories at the Azteca in the quarterfinals of the 1986 World Cup, when Diego Maradona scored a double for Argentina, including the infamous “Hand of God” goal.
Sunday’s match was delayed by an hour after a thunderstorm and heavy rain lashed the Mexican capital for hours before the planned 6pm (00:00 GMT) kickoff time.
Despite the sodden conditions, more than 80,000 fans crammed into the stadium to create a deafening noise.
England coach Thomas Tuchel was wary of a fast start from Mexico as his side adjusted to the altitude of 2,240 metres (7,350 feet) above sea level.
Mexico had flown out of the traps when they won a World Cup knockout game for the first time in 40 years against Ecuador 2-0 on Tuesday.
This time, England managed to keep Javier Aguirre’s side at bay, but they did need a crucial intervention from Jordan Pickford to deny Jimenez opening the scoring with a diving header that was headed for the bottom corner.
Tuchel made three changes to the side that needed a heroic performance from Kane to prevent an embarrassing early exit to DR Congo.
Quansah was forced to deputise at right-back with Reece James not fit to start for a third consecutive game, opening up Tuchel to criticism over his decision not to select more specialist cover in the position.
Anthony Gordon and Bukayo Saka also started out wide, and both made telling contributions.
Saka’s cross picked out Bellingham to power in a header for the first goal Mexico conceded in five World Cup games.
The hosts failed to compose themselves, as within two minutes, the Real Madrid midfielder had doubled England’s lead.
Kane’s ball across fell perfectly for Bellingham to power in his fourth goal of the tournament.
Yet what should have been a comfortable lead was nearly wiped out by half-time.
Quinones blasted in his fourth goal of the tournament to spark the Mexico rally after England failed to clear a free kick.
Jimenez drilled wide and saw another header saved by Pickford before Bellingham made a last-ditch intervention to deny Cesar Montes a certain equaliser.
Nico O’Reilly nearly restored England’s two-goal cushion as his deflected shot cannoned off the post.
Quansah was shown a straight red card on 54 minutes after a VAR review for a mistimed lunge on Jesus Gallardo.
But just six minutes later, the 10 men had added to their lead when Gordon was wiped out by Mexico goalkeeper Raul Rangel and Kane emphatically dispatched the penalty.
The England captain’s sixth goal of the tournament puts him just one behind Haaland, Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe in the race for the Golden Boot.
The game took another huge momentum swing when, this time, Kane was penalised for a foul inside his own box and Jimenez slotted home the penalty to set up a frantic final 20 minutes.
England, though, stood tall, defending at times frantically to resist the Mexican wave during 11 minutes of additional time, and have reached a third consecutive FIFA World Cup quarterfinal.
THE WORLD CUP is well underway with some of England’s top stars already breaking football records – but where do these guys get to when they aren’t kicking around a ball?
Prior to the 2026 World Cup, the England head coach told the England team to head off on their post-season holidays to either the US or Caribbean so they could get used to the time zone and heat for the World Cup.
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The team jetted off to West Palm Beach in Florida and stayed at the luxury Belgrove Resort and Spa.
But each player has also been to a whole host of other spots across the globe – and you might even be surprised by some.
Harry Kane
Lapland, Finland
Over Christmas last year the England captain headed to Lapland in Finland with his family.
His wife, Katie Goodland, shared some snaps on her Instagram showing the family enjoyed dog sledding, spotting reindeer in the snow, heading on fairy light-lit walks among the trees etc.
On one night they even saw the Northern Lights and Kane’s kids enjoyed snowmobiling as well.
In addition, while in Lapland you can head off to Santa Claus Village and send postcards home.
Alternatively, families can have a go at making gingerbread.
Flights to Rovaniemi in October from £22 per way.
Jordan Pickford
Dubai, UAE
Back in January, Jordan Pickford and his wife were spotted flying back from Dubai.
The United Arab Emirates city is well known for its warm climate as well as its architecture such as the Burj Khalifa.
From the city you can also head out to the desert to try sand surfing or dune buggying.
You could fly from the UK to Dubai for £156 per way in July.
Jude Bellingham
Cannes, France
Four weeks ago, Jude posted some snaps of a lavish holiday in Cannes, France, with his 20-year-old brother, Jobe Bellingham.
The duo, along with other friends, enjoyed time on yachts as well as heading to La Mome – a fine dining restaurant that is famous for its foccacia dipped in olive oil and serving up fresh, local seafood.
One of the images appears to show Hôtel Martinez, which is a five-star Art Deco hotel on the Boulevard de la Croisette.
Inside, the hotel has yacht-inspired rooms and boasts a two-star Michelin restaurant.
Rooms cost from around £1,400 a night.
Flights to Nice Côte d’Azur Airport cost from £23 in July.
Dubai, UAE
The pro footballer also recently visited Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.
In the city, make sure to visit the Dubai Frame, which is a 150-metre structure with one side framing Old Dubai and the other side framing New Dubai.
You can even walk across a glass bridge on the structure.
You could fly from the UK to Dubai for £156 per way in July.
Jordan Henderson
Lapland UK
Jordan Henderson has previously visited LaplandUK, showing fans you don’t have to travel far to have a magical time.
The midfielder at Brentford enjoyed the experience alongside his family, seeing reindeer and of course visiting Santa.
LaplandUK now has two experiences in the country, with the original in Ascot and a more recently opened site in Manchester.
Tickets to the experience tend to range between £65 and £195 per person, but included in that you get to hang out with the elves and even make your own toy.
Declan Rice
Dubai, UAE
While the pro footballer often visits Dubai for warm-weather training camps, Declan Rice also heads on holiday to the popular spot.
And over the years he has visited the city on many occasions, sometimes even with other pros such as Mason Mount.
While in Dubai, make sure to head to some of the city’s beaches such as Kite Beach which is a great spot for watersports as well as beach volleyball.
Alternatively, head to Sunset Beach, which is known for having a more relaxed vibe and being the ideal stop to watch the sunset.
You could fly from the UK to Dubai for £156 per way in July.
Marcus Rashford
Barcelona, Spain
Last year, Marcus Rashford shared a few snaps of a holiday in Barcelona.
The holiday pics make sense considering the star plays as a forward for La Liga club Barcelona.
But Barcelona is a great city to visit – you can head down the famous La Ramblas and spot human statues.
And of course, enjoy some of the local restaurants serving tapas.
The Spanish city is also home to many designs by the famous architect Antoni Gaudí, including the Sagrada Familia – the tallest church in the world, that has been built over the past century.
Flights from the UK to Barcelona cost as little as £15 one-way in July.
Bukayo Saka
Lagos, Nigeria
Saka was born in London to Nigerian parents yet often heads to Nigeria in the summer.
He has previously been seen visiting Lagos and Kwara State.
Lagos is Africa’s largest city and is home to around 24million people.
The coastal city is home to the Nike Art Gallery, which spans across five floors and is home to thousands of contemporary and traditional Nigerian artworks.
Make sure to head to the Lekki Conservation Centre too, where you will find Africa’s longest canopy walkway with wetlands home to monkeys and tropical birds.
And for a beach day, stop by Elegushi Beach where you’ll also find a number of beach clubs and oceanfront restaurants.
One-way flights to Lagos from the UK cost from £263 in July.
Ollie Watkins
Lake Como, Italy
Back in 2024, Aston Villa and England strikerOllie Watkins proposed to Ellie Alderson at the Mandarin Oriental on Lago di Como.
The five-star resort hotel can be found in the village of Blevio, which is on the eastern side of Lake Como.
Across the hotel, you will find nine villas with a total of 75 rooms and suites.
There are also two villas with balconies overlooking the lake and with views of the Alps.
The hotel also has a huge spa with an indoor pool and another infinity pool outside on the edge of the lake.
A room costs from £1,162 per night.
But there are many other nice spots to visit and stay nearby.
For example, just down the road you could stay at Casa Giulietta Caronti, which also boasts views of the lake.
The B&B even has seven new suites with hot tubs inside, costing from just £112 per night.
You’d also be just a few minutes from downtown Como and Cernobbio.
Flights to Milan cost from £15 per way in July.
Estelle Manor, The Cotswolds
Estelle Manor is a Grade II listed country estate and hotel in Oxfordshire – which Watkins recently posted a pic of himself at on Instagram.
The hotel only opened in 2023 but has become well-known for its stylish rooms and Walled Garden.
There are also four restaurants onsite, as well as a kid’s club.
Rooms at the hotel cost from £575 per night.
But if that is outside of your budget, don’t worry as the Cotswolds is home to an abundance of pretty places to stay.
For example, you could head down the road to the Artist’s Residence near South Leigh.
The pretty pub with rooms boasts a thatched roof and dates back to the 16th century.
Inside the rooms feature a whimsical vibe, with minibars and Nespresso coffee machines.
Some rooms even have vaulted ceilings and free-standing bath tubs.
And staying costs a fraction of the price compared to Estelle Manor, with rooms from £153 per night.
Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, France
The Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild overlooks the Mediterranean Sea and is the very spot Watkins got married at.
Built between 1907 and 1912, the villa is home to a massive collection of art as well nine themed gardens.
The villa was even designed to mimic the deck of a cruise ship, with visitors able to see the sea whichever side of the villa they are on.
The villa is open to the public to visit adult tickets costing €18 (£15.51) and children’s tickets costing €12 (£10.34).
Flights to Nice Côte d’Azur Airport cost from £23 per way in July.
Positano, Amalfi Coast, Italy
In another Instagram post, Ollie Watkins was recently spotted in Positano on the Amalfi Coast.
The town is famous for its pastel-coloured buildings stagger across the cliffs.
When visiting you can head to a number of beach clubs as well.
Make sure to walk along the waterfront and head to the 300-metre beach to soak up the sunshine.
For a quieter spot, drop by Fornillo Beach which is a secluded pebble cove.
Flights to Naples Airport cost from £31 per way in July.
Capri, Italy
The famous footballer was also spotted staying in another luxury Italian hotel – Jumeirah Capri Palace.
Found in Anacapri on the island of Capri, the hotel boasts a unique medical spa as well as a Michelin-starred restaurant.
There are also two pools at the hotel, an outdoor terrace with panoramic views and a fancy wine cellar.
Though, it will set you back around £3,444 per night.
Instead, a short drive away you could stay at Hotel Belvedere e Tre Re, which directly looks over the beach and glistening turquoise water.
And it costs from £216 a night instead of a few grand.
It is also closer to another spot the star was spotted at as well – Da Paolino Lemontrees.
The famous restaurant is known for its tables that sit directly under hundreds of real lemon trees.
Open since the 1970s, the much-loved restaurant often attracts celebs with other notable figures that have dined there including Beyonce and Mariah Carey.
Make sure to visit the dessert room, which has an entire buffet dedicated to all things sweet including traditional Italian desserts and lemon-infused treats.
Flights to Naples Airport cost from £31 per way in July.
Jude Bellingham has said the external “noise” around his place in the England team may help him find his best form during the World Cup.
One of the main talking points around selection before England’s first group game against Croatia was whether boss Thomas Tuchel would select Real Madrid’s Bellingham or Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers in the number 10 role behind captain Harry Kane.
Bellingham was chosen to start in Dallas and scored England’s crucial third goal just after half-time, with Marcus Rashford adding a fourth late on to complete a 4-2 win.
“For me personally, it was nice to put some of the noise aside and just show my country and my team-mates how committed I am to help us try to win football matches,” the 22-year-old, who is appearing in a fourth consecutive major tournament for England, told BBC Sport.
“To contribute, to help my team and help my country is one of the biggest honours and regardless of the noise outside, that honour doesn’t change for me at all.”
Bellingham conceded that it has been a “bit of a tougher season for me”, with the start of his 2025-26 campaign disrupted by injury, his club side in Spain ending up eight points behind eventual champions Barcelona and his place in the national team under scrutiny.
But Bellingham said he feels “fresh and sharp” heading into the tournament and it was “nice to hear” comments from colleagues such as Jordan Henderson, who said the former Birmingham City and Borussia Dortmund player gives England an “X-factor”.
Asked if he has entered the World Cup with added impetus, Bellingham said: “A little bit – I think I’ve got a little bit of a chip on my shoulder, haven’t I?”
However, it is understood England manager Thomas Tuchel is likely to select Bellingham, 22, for Wednesday’s Group L encounter in Dallas (21:00 BST).
The Real Madrid star is expected to have Arsenal’s Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson of Nottingham Forest alongside him in midfield.
Elsewhere, Ezri Konsa is likely to get the nod at centre-half alongside John Stones – with Marc Guehi in line to start on the bench.
Reece James and Nico O’Reilly are set to start at full-back.
Harry Kane will captain the side and lead the attack. Anthony Gordon is expected to play on the left wing with Noni Madueke in line to play on the right in place of Bukayo Saka, who is working his way back to full fitness from Achilles tendinitis.
Indeed, if that is the case, it appears that John Stones and Ezri Konsa will start the World Cup as England’s first-choice central defensive pairing.
That would come as a shock to many given the widely held view that Marc Guehi was the team’s first-choice centre-back.
Guehi, since his move from Crystal Palace to Manchester City, was picked ahead of Stones during the final months of the season by Pep Guardiola, though the latter’s campaign was heavily disrupted by injury.
Guehi became central to England’s plans during Euro 2024 and his ascendancy at international level was expected to rise further under Tuchel.
But there is an emerging feeling that Tuchel prefers more physicality in his central defensive pairing – with Stones and Konsa bigger than Guehi.
However, heading into the game against Croatia, the England head coach will also have to consider the question of balance.
Guehi generally plays as the left-sided central defender, so with Stones and Konsa both right-footed, balance may still be an issue that Tuchel may consider heading into the Croatia contest.
On the right side of England’s attack, Noni Madueke started ahead of Bukayo Saka on Wednesday.
Of course, a fully fit Saka would almost certainly start ahead of his Arsenal team-mate.
But Tuchel has admitted that Saka will need to be managed during the tournament as he still feels the effects of a lower leg muscular issue that prevented the attacker from playing a full part in Arsenal’s season run-in.
Indeed, there was genuine concern at the Emirates Stadium towards the back end of last season that Saka would miss the final weeks of the campaign and there remains concern at Arsenal about his fitness given he is currently not under their auspices.
There is hope, however, that Saka’s fitness is improving day-by-day here in the US.
If England were playing in the knockout stages today, there is every chance Saka could play from the start – although potentially not finish the game.
So heading into the group stages, how much protection Tuchel provides Saka will be a factor towards the team the German decides to pick.
But in Madueke, Tuchel has a player he trusts and clearly rates, should the manager decide to ease Saka into the tournament.
Bellingham missed just 29 minutes of England’s Euro 2024 campaign, starting all seven matches, but his fortunes have changed under Gareth Southgate’s replacement.
The 22-year-old missed two qualifying matches last September because of a shoulder injury but was overlooked for October’s international camp, including a qualifier against Latvia.
He returned to the squad in November but was forced to miss friendlies in March with a persistent hamstring issue.
His relationship with Tuchel has frequently come under scrutiny, with the manager describing Bellingham’s on-field behaviour during last June’s defeat by Senegal as “repulsive” – a remark Tuchel later apologised for.
In November, Tuchel said he would “review” Bellingham’s behaviour following his reaction to being substituted during a qualifier against Albania.
However, he was impressed with Bellingham’s performance in Saturday’s World Cup warm-up match against New Zealand in Tampa, believing he has hit a “sweet spot” heading into the tournament.
Bellingham took the captain’s armband after coming on at half-time in the 1-0 win.
“You can see Jude has for sure the decisiveness and bite,” Tuchel said. “This is his key characteristic, but you can see that he comes from an injury and is full of energy and happy to be back on the pitch.
“He had his break, unfortunately, in a decisive part of the season, the Champions League season and campaign for the championship in Spain, so this was very unfortunate for Real Madrid and for him personally.
“But you can see now that he is actually in a sweet spot. He comes back, he’s fresh, he wants to play and he’s in top shape.”
England and Real Madrid footballer Jude Bellingham has bought a 1% stake in cricket team Birmingham Phoenix.
The deal for The Hundred franchise, set to be confirmed on Wednesday, is worth around £800,000.
The eight franchises were put up for sale last year and American investment group Knighthead Capital Management, who own Bellingham’s former club Birmingham City, bought a 49% stake for £48m. Warwickshire retained their 51% stake.
Bellingham is a cricket fan and played junior cricket for Hagley Cricket Club in Worcestershire.
Asked in an interview last year which sportsperson he would swap places with, he said England Test captain Ben Stokes.
Legendary NFL quarterback Brady is also part of the Knighthead group.
