Jude Bellingham was battered, bruised and bullied against Brazil...
The letter 'B' stands for Bellingham. It also stands for battered, bruised and bullied.
All four went hand-in-hand here at Wembley on Saturday night as Brazil went ruthlessly about stopping English football's pin-up boy.
Kicked from pillar to post, Brazil's strategy was clear. Rough him up. Torment him. Kick him.
Stop Jude Bellingham by absolutely any means necessary.
Given the astonishing season he is having at Real Madrid, it's probably the only way to stop him.
Lucas Paqueta took a chunk out of him. So did Bruno Guimaraes. They weren't the only ones.
Bellingham should take it as a compliment, although his body may not take it quite so well when he wakes up on Sunday morning.
Of course, it is something he'll simply need to get used to. It comes with the territory of being an elite attacking footballer.
Ask Kylian Mbappe. Ask Lionel Messi. Ask Cristiano Ronaldo.
Closer to home, it's something Bukayo Saka has had to acclimatise to, much to the annoyance of Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta.
But what Saka has done well is that he has learned not to bite. Don't be fooled by Saka's cool exterior, the treatment he receives eats at him.
But he makes his aggressors pay the ultimate price, without resorting to anything more sinister, with his brilliance on the pitch.
Goals and assists. That's where Saka's true value is. The same goes for Bellingham.
There is no doubting Bellingham can stand-up to such roughhouse treatment. Even at 20-years-old, he's physically imposing.
Tall in stature and athletic, he can mix it if necessary. Indeed an early challenge through the back of Guimaraes that Bellingham was booked for illustrated that he isn't one to be pushed around.
That's a trait in Bellingham's all-round game that sets him apart. Yes, the
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