Jude Bellingham has stressed that every member of England’s World Cup squad must feel “loved” and valued if the team is to succeed in the United States, Canada and Mexico, reflecting on lessons learned from Euro 2024 where he believes the group did not connect as well as it could have off the pitch. Speaking on England’s Lions’ Den programme ahead of the tournament, the Real Madrid midfielder said that heightened expectation played a part in England’s disjointed run to the Euro 2024 final, when the side was seen as one of the two or three teams that should win it yet never found fluency despite progressing through the knockout rounds. He explained that even when England were winning, the squad did not feel as happy as it should have, because the nature of football at that level means victories quickly leave the system and the players failed to hold on to those moments.
Bellingham argued that this time the experience must be different, emphasizing that the player who scores the winning goal in a World Cup final is not always the obvious name, so everyone has to be ready and feel like they are playing a huge part. He said that for England to go further than their 1966 triumph, the whole group needs that sense of belonging and enjoyment, adding that the other thing is simply to enjoy the tournament together. The comments come as manager Thomas Tuchel has spoken of creating a “brotherhood” within the squad and warned that no player is guaranteed a starting place, including Bellingham, who is competing with Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers for the number 10 role after Rogers featured in all eight qualifiers while Bellingham started four.
Tuchel has described Bellingham as one of 14 or 15 potential starters, noting the 22-year-old is in a “sweet spot” after returning from injury with hunger and form, but also insisted that competition between friends is healthy and roles can change. Bellingham echoed the need for unity, saying expectation was part of the issue at the Euros because England had done well in 2018 and in Qatar, and the pressure to win made it harder to celebrate victories. He wants this squad to embrace relentlessness while also cherishing success, ensuring that substitutes, fringe players and starters alike feel integral to the campaign that begins against Croatia on June 18 in Arlington, Texas.
Aston Villa forward Rogers underlined the alignment in the current group, saying it is “really easy and seamless for anyone to fit in” regardless of age or club, which reinforces Bellingham’s point that chemistry off the pitch translates to performance on it. With England in Group L alongside Croatia, Ghana and Panama, Bellingham’s message is that collective spirit, not just individual brilliance, will determine whether the Three Lions can finally end their long wait for a second World Cup.
