Jude Bellingham etched his name in European Championship history books and secured his place as the hero of the night as England staged a stunning comeback against Slovakia to clinch a 2-1 victory and book their spot in the Euro 2024 quarter-finals.
The match began ominously for Gareth Southgate's side, as defensive lapses allowed Slovakia's Dávid Hancko and Lukáš Haraslín to threaten early on. Despite efforts from Harry Kane and Kobbie Mainoo, it was Slovakia who struck first through Ivan Schranz, thanks to a perfectly threaded pass from David Strelec.
England's woes continued into the second half, failing to register a shot on target until late in the game. Phil Foden had a goal disallowed for offside, and Slovakia nearly doubled their lead with a audacious attempt from Strelec that narrowly missed the mark.
With time running out and England facing elimination, Jude Bellingham rose to the occasion. In the dying moments of stoppage time, Bellingham displayed his class with an acrobatic finish, converting Marc Guéhi's flick from Kyle Walker's long throw to equalize.
The dramatic turn of events continued into extra time, where Harry Kane redeemed himself by scoring the winner just 52 seconds in, capitalizing on a rebound off Eberechi Eze's shot.
As the final whistle blew, Jude Bellingham's heroic performance did not go unnoticed. The Real Madrid midfielder, who had also been pivotal for his club throughout the season, was rightfully awarded the Man of the Match honors for his crucial goal that rescued England from the brink of elimination and propelled them into the quarter-finals.