England midfielder Jude Bellingham has revealed that singing the national anthem reminds him of his late grandad.
The 22-year-old Real Madrid player was passionately singing God Save the King before the Three Lions' 4-2 win over Croatia to kick off the tournament.
Bellingham put Thomas Tuchel's side ahead in the 47th minute, scoring his seventh goal for England.
It comes six years after the Midlands-born athlete made his international debut.
He said: "I think the anthem is the last chance you get to really be mindful of the people who have got you there and what it means to be from England."
The midfielder added: "I think about my grandad, who passed away just before my England debut. He was so patriotic.
"He was an Englishman through and through. He could give you every fact about every war, every battle, every king, and every queen.
"I do think about my grandad when that moment’s coming (just before a match during the anthem)."
If selected to start in Tuesday's game against Ghana, it would be the 22-year-old's 50th senior cap.
Bellingham told the BBC: "I also think about the rest of my family and the sacrifices they’ve made to get me to this stage.
"My mum, my dad and my brother, Jobe, have all been so important for me. My brother has been a constant crutch for me."
Jobe, the younger brother of Jude, currently plays for the German giants Borussia Dortmund and has yet to receive a call-up to the national side.
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Bellingham added: "When I cross the line, wear that badge on the front, wear the No10 on the back of my shirt, I make sure I give everything that I have.
"It’s every footballer’s dream to play at a World Cup and I’ve been fortunate enough to play in one already and now I’m back with the squad for the second one.
"My responsibility to my team and to my country is to give everything I have. It’s been a gradual process into being where I am with the England squad.
"I wore the captain’s armband for the first time in the friendlies which means I’m on a good path and I know I can contribute whether it be from the starting XI, from the bench, I understand other players deserve to play as well. But I think I’m more than ready to give the team minutes."
The comments come after Tuchel was left furious before the opener when photographers blocked his view of the Three Lions during the national anthem, forcing him to watch the moment unfold on a giant screen instead.
Fifa have since responded by tweaking arrangements for Thursday's fixtures, with photographers instructed to stand closer together while coaching staff are expected to move to either side of the dugout area.
After the match, Tuchel said: "I'm begging Fifa to change the position of the photographers, because I could not see my team [during] the national anthem, and I was waiting for this moment.
He added: "It was a very, very special moment today and I was standing in front of 50 photographers half a metre away and I could not see one single player. It ruined a little bit my experience."
Video footage from the touchline showed Tuchel confronting photographers moments before kick-off.
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