Bellingham transferred to Borussia Dortmund at the age of 17 and earned his first cap for England that same year. "It's a testament to his caliber that there is such high expectation placed on him in England. At Real, he made an immediate impact in the first few weeks. I didn't notice him struggling at all as his role within the team expanded. His ability to handle the pressure at just 20 years old is remarkable. This personality means that he copes with the pressure effortlessly,” remarked one of his teammates.

England, which hasn't won a major international trophy since their 1966 World Cup victory against West Germany, is considered a top contender for Euro 2024. In the previous European Championship in 2021, they reached the finals only to lose to Italy in a penalty shootout. Kroos, who ended his club career with a 2-0 victory for Real Madrid in the Champions League final against Dortmund, came out of a international retirement to participate in the Euros and plans to retire from football completely post-tournament. The 2014 World Cup winner and record holder of six Champions League titles with Bayern Munich and Real Madrid described Bellingham as "the complete package," adding, "I wish him a successful tournament personally — but naturally, I hope England's journey ends at some point.”