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Art & illustrations

30 Seconds Out of Halftime. The Whole Stadium Knew.

Tuchel's England opened the World Cup with a 4-2 win over Croatia. The headline wasn't Kane's record-tying brace. It was Bellingham, scoring seconds into the second half to break a 2-2 tie.

1 min readChickenpie
Behind the artwork ↓
Chickenpie illustration: Jude Bellingham celebrating at AT&T Stadium after his halftime goal against Croatia, World Cup 2026. Mr. Chicken in a tiny England shirt watches from the touchline in the lower-left corner.
FROM THE SKETCHBOOK
BEHIND THE ARTWORK
At a glance
CategoryArt & illustrations
PublishedJun 18, 2026
Read time1 min
Covered here
  • Sports
  • World Cup
  • Football

The halftime whistle blew at AT&T Stadium. England 2, Croatia 2. Everyone caught their breath. The teams lined up for the second half kickoff. Then the whistle blew again — and the game was over before it had started.

Jude Bellingham scored 30 seconds into the second half. Not a tap-in. Not a deflection. A run, a half-turn, and a finish that broke the 2-2 tie so fast the Croatian defenders were still settling into position. The place erupted. England's first World Cup game under Thomas Tuchel had just been decided by the player Tuchel was always going to bet on.

Harry Kane had a record-tying brace in the first half. Marcus Rashford added the insurance goal. Croatia's Baturina and Musa answered back twice to make it real. But the headline is Bellingham — the kind of goal that defines a tournament the moment it happens.

Bellingham is the kind of player who doesn't wait for the second half to begin. He just starts it himself.

Daily Art Caricature by Chickenpie — World Cup 2026

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