England manager Thomas Tuchel said Jude Bellingham will face stiff competition to secure a starting place at the World Cup. He describes the Real Madrid midfielder as one of several contenders in a deep squad ahead of the tournament.
The 22-year-old played in just four of the England qualifiers, while Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers featured in all eight, underscoring the selection dilemma Tuchel faced in the number 10 role.
When asked if Bellingham was struggling to make the starting line-up, Tuchel was unequivocal.
“Yes, he did,” Tuchel told reporters. “He knows he’s one of the starters, but we have 14 to 15 potential starters.
“These roles can always change, but at the moment I think there are fourteen or fifteen real starters and Jude is one of them,” he added.
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England are preparing for their World Cup campaign in Florida, where they opened their warm-up schedule with a 1-0 win over New Zealand in Tampa on Saturday. Harry Kane scored the only goal.
Bellingham captained the side for the first time during the second half of that match, with Tuchel changing his line-up in the hot and humid conditions.
Despite the competition for places, Tuchel said he was encouraged by Bellingham’s recent form after injury.
“He looks good in training,” said the German. “I think he’s in a good place at the moment because he’s had his break and he’s hungry to get back on the pitch.”
Tuchel has emphasized the depth and flexibility of the squad ahead of the tournament, indicating several players are capable of starting, while others could be used to influence matches from the bench.
Tuchel would not confirm whether Bellingham was part of his leadership group, but said on Sunday that midfielder Declan Rice would be England’s vice-captain during the World Cup.
England play a friendly against Costa Rica on Wednesday before the World Cup season opens against Croatia in Dallas on June 17.
Published on June 8, 2026
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