Readers are divided on whether Jude Bellingham should be selected for England’s World Cup squad this summer. The midfielder is one of the country’s biggest names on the world stage and was a key player at the Euros two years ago. However, he did not have his best season at Real Madrid and will likely end the season without winning a single trophy.
Bellingham played 26 league games for the Spanish giants, scoring five goals and providing a further four assists. These numbers aren’t terrible, but they don’t exactly paint the most convincing picture heading into the World Cup. This has sparked debate over whether the 22-year-old is eligible to be on the plane or whether he should be ruled out entirely.
Our latest poll reveals that opinion is sharply divided, with 53.4 percent of voters agreeing that Bellingham should play in the World Cup.
However, the remaining 46.6% said he was not guaranteed a place in the team and should be forced to watch the tournament from home.
It would certainly be a courageous decision for manager Thomas Tuchel to leave Bellingham out of the middle of the park, as he has the ability to become England’s star man.
However, the two sides have not always seen eye to eye since Tuchel was appointed to replace Gareth Southgate in early 2025.
The manager raised eyebrows in the summer when his mother revealed that she found Bellingham’s on-field behavior sometimes “uncomfortable”.
Tuchel later clarified his comments, claiming he was a big fan of the midfield maestro, but tensions have continued ever since.
Bellingham’s omission from England’s squad for games against Wales and Latvia last year sparked further controversy.
He returned to the team in the victory over Albania, but when he was substituted in the second half, he became furious and threw his arms in the air in frustration.
After the final whistle, Tuchel said: “This is a decision and he has to accept it. His friends are waiting on the sideline. Let’s accept that, respect that and keep moving forward.”
Asked if Bellingham’s reaction was contrary to the attitude he was trying to instill in his team in the lead-up to the World Cup, the England manager said: “It didn’t seem that way. We’ll have to look at it and I could tell he wasn’t happy.”
“At the moment I don’t want it to get any bigger than it is. Players like Jude are competitive and will never like it. My word stands.
“It’s about standards and levels. It’s about commitment and respect for each other. We’re not going to change our decisions just because someone waves their arm.”
