"When I was in the air, I was like, I’m 6 ft in the air, like Ronaldo" - Jude Bellingham on his overhead kick goal for England at Euro 2024
England midfielder Jude Bellingham has compared with Cristiano Ronaldo his leap while scoring the equaliser against Slovakia in the Euro 2024 Round of 16 in Gelsenkirchen on Sunday (June 30). The Three Lions eventually won 2-1 in extra time to reach the quarterfinals.
Gareth Southgate's side were minutes away from getting dumped out in the first knockout round, as they trailed to an Ivan Schranz 25th-minute strike. With time running out, Bellingham produced an acrobatic leap to score a stunning 95th-minute equaliser, forcing extra time.
Captain Harry Kane joined the party, putting the Three Lions ahead in the first minute of the extra period, a lead they wouldn't relinquish as they secured a berth in the last-eight. Talking about his Ronaldoesque leap while scoring the last-gasp equaliser in Gelsenkirchen, Bellingham said (as per Madrid Xtra):
“When I was in the air I was like… I’m 6 ft in the air, like Ronaldo. But when I watch it back I have one hand on the ground, so not so acrobatic (laughs).”
Bellingham and Co. next take on Switzerland in Dusseldorf on Saturday (July 6) for a place in the Euro 2024 semifinals.
Meanwhile, Ronaldo's Portugal are also into the last-eight, seeing off Slovenia in a 3-0 shootout win after a goalless 120 minutes, where Ronaldo missed an extra-time penalty. The 2016 winners next take on France in Hamburg on Friday (July 5).
How have Cristiano Ronaldo and England's Jude Bellingham fared at Euro 2024 so far?
Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo and England's Jude Bellingham have had markedly different Euro 2024 campaigns so far. While Ronaldo is yet to get off the mark in four games, Bellingham has scored twice in four outings.
Ronaldo, 39, though, has bagged an assist - in the 3-0 group-stage win over Turkey - to create history. It made him the joint-highest assists provider in the Euros, level with Czech Republic legend Karol Poborsky.
Having appeared in a record-extending sixth European Championship and become the first player to score in three Euro shootouts (also 2004 and 2016), Ronaldo is looking to become the oldest Euro finals scorer and the first to net in six editions.
Meanwhile, Jude Bellingham has scored for England twice, once in the 1-0 win over Serbia, before also finding the back of the net in the extra-time win over Slovakia.