Thomas Tuchel has a Jude Bellingham problem. But at least this time it’s the good kind.
Last summer, Tuchel’s mom called Bellingham’s behavior ‘repulsive.’ He left the Real Madrid star out of a squad in October. For a while, it looked like he preferred Morgan Rogers. Now? Bellingham is basically keeping England alive at the 2026 World Cup.
The numbers are stark. Bellingham and Harry Kane have scored five of England’s six goals this tournament. Bellingham’s strikes against Croatia and Panama were the big ones — the volley that broke Panama’s resistance, the goal that put England back ahead against Croatia. He also set up Kane’s third goal five minutes later. That’s not just production. That’s carrying the team.
Tuchel was asked if England leans too hard on Kane. The real worry might be that they lean too hard on both of them.
Tuchel’s tough love is working, kind of
When reporters asked England’s manager about Bellingham’s form, he didn’t exactly deny the team’s dependency. He just framed it differently.
‘I’m not sure if it’s a reaction,’ Tuchel said. ‘But it is what we want from him. He was very positive from the first day in camp. He buys fully into all the things we demand as a team player, and then he brings his own individual quality to decide football games.’
He added: ‘That’s what you see in World Cups now, and what you see from other teams and other big players. We have it in him and he’s a key player. So well done until now. He needs to keep going.’
The concern is that England doesn’t look like a team that can create goals through system and movement. They look like a team hoping Bellingham or Kane will pull something out of thin air. Against Panama, England had six players in attacking areas against a five-man back line and still needed individual brilliance to break through.
Tuchel pushed back on that idea. He pointed to Nico O’Reilly making a run just to open space for Bellingham. He argued the patterns are getting better.
‘If we all just play freestyle, no one knows what the other one is thinking,’ Tuchel said. ‘So we want to play more in patterns and more in units, and I feel that we get the understanding better and better and better.’
The winger problem won’t go away
Here’s the weird part. Tuchel’s system is built around wingers, but England’s wide players have barely shown up. Marcus Rashford scored against Croatia but started the tournament on the bench. Anthony Gordon forced his way into the starting XI during a friendly against Costa Rica, then got bumped by Rashford. Noni Madueke has flashed and faded, which is kind of his thing.
Morgan Rogers was supposed to be central to Tuchel’s plan, but Bellingham’s emergence pushed him out of a defined role. Now he’s looking for minutes wherever he can get them — maybe even as a nominal winger, the way Unai Emery uses him at Aston Villa.
Bukayo Saka has two assists, including the corner Bellingham converted against Panama, but he’s been eased into the tournament. And Decan Rice being out cost England some attacking drive from midfield, though Bellingham basically filled that void.
Tuchel said Bellingham played as a central midfielder without the ball and a No. 10 with it. For much of the last year, Bellingham didn’t look like Tuchel’s ideal 10. Now he’s getting closer.
Maybe that’s enough to get England through another round. Or maybe it just means the problem — the good kind of problem — isn’t going anywhere.
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