By Adegboyega Adeleye
England manager Thomas Tuchel has admitted that Jude Bellingham is no longer guaranteed a place in his starting line-up ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, insisting the Real Madrid star must compete for his spot like every other player in the squad.
Bellingham heads into the tournament as one of England’s biggest names and among the players many fans will be eager to watch when the World Cup kicks off on June 11. However, the 22-year-old has found himself facing stiffer competition under Tuchel than he did during the previous regime led by Gareth Southgate.
Since Tuchel took charge in January 2025, Bellingham has started only four matches, with Aston Villa midfielder Morgan Rogers emerging as one of the German coach’s most trusted options.
Rogers has featured in 12 of Tuchel’s 13 games in charge and was the only player involved in all eight of England’s World Cup qualifying matches, underlining his growing importance in the team.
Asked whether Bellingham now faces a battle to secure a place in England’s starting XI, Tuchel unequivocally replied yes.
“Yes, he has,” Tuchel said.
“He is one of the starters; he knows he is one of the starters, but we have 14 or 15 potential starters.
“These roles can always change, but at the moment I think there are 14 or 15 proper starters, and Jude is one of them.”
The comments highlight the shift in Bellingham’s status within the national team.
At Euro 2024, the midfielder was virtually undroppable, starting all seven matches and missing only 29 minutes of England’s entire campaign. But injuries and increased competition have complicated his path to a regular place under Tuchel.
Bellingham missed two World Cup qualifiers last September because of a shoulder injury and was later overlooked during England’s October camp. He also sat out friendlies in March due to a lingering hamstring problem.
His relationship with Tuchel has also attracted attention. Last year, the England boss came under scrutiny after describing Bellingham’s behaviour during a defeat to Senegal as “repulsive”, a remark he later apologised for. Tuchel also revealed in November that he would review the midfielder’s reaction to being substituted during a qualifier against Albania.
Despite those moments, the German insists Bellingham remains a key part of his World Cup plans and believes the midfielder is arriving at the tournament in excellent condition.
Bellingham impressed after coming off the bench in England’s 1-0 warm-up victory over New Zealand in Tampa, later taking over the captain’s armband.
“You can see Jude has for sure the decisiveness and bite,” Tuchel said.
“This is his key characteristic, but you can see that he comes from an injury and is full of energy and happy to be back on the pitch.
“But you can see now that he is actually in a sweet spot. He comes back, he’s fresh, he wants to play and he’s in top shape.”
