Jude Bellingham was forced to spend over an hour on the Wembley Stadium bench, as Thomas Tuchel's England beat Serbia in the World Cup qualifier.
Despite being one of the most talented English players of his generation, Jude Bellingham was dropped from the starting eleven, as Morgan Rogers of Aston Villa took his place instead.
Then, in the 65th minute, Rogers was replaced by Bellingham. It was a quiet cameo for Bellingham, only taking one shot.
As you might imagine, the English media is taking every opportunity they can get to tear down their most talented player. It's nothing that the English players aren't used to already, as they are known to be treated abhorrently by both the fanbase and the media companies.
However, underneath all the chaos, there is one simple reason why Jude Bellingham was dropped by England on international duty.
The real reason Jude Bellingham sat on England's bench
Let's call it what it is: Last night was an exhibition match for England. They should be beating Serbia even when the stakes are high, but when the stakes are at their lowest, Thomas Tuchel can afford to rotate his squad and experiment a little.
So, sorry, but the reason why Jude Bellingham was benched really was that simple.
Not everything needs to be read into as much as it is. No, Jude Bellingham will not be a benchwarmer at the World Cup. If he is, then Thomas Tuchel needs to have his footballing intelligence questioned. To suggest this is an insult to the Champions League winner Tuchel.
Instead, Real Madrid fans should see the benching of Jude Bellingham as a good thing. Imagine if the opposite were true, and Bellingham played 90 minutes, only to pick up an injury.
From Real Madrid's perspective, we selfishly hope that more star players continue to get benched by their countries. More rest benefits Xabi Alonso, as he looks to bounce back from the poor form heading into the international break.
Heck, we all know that players are run into the ground under Alonso, anyway. Any recuperation they can get on international duty is welcomed.
Next up, England faces Albania. There is every likelihood that Bellingham starts this match, and then the media narrative will be put to bed.
To cut a long story short, we as football fans really need to learn to take a step back and think about a situation before we speak. No, Bellingham is not ostracized after just one game.