The Real Madrid midfielder took charge of media duties after England’s 4-2 win against Croatia in their first game, a clear change from his stance at Euro 2024.
Jude Bellingham took a different approach this World Cup (Image: Getty Images)
Jude Bellingham’s approach to the 2026 World Cup has been praised by Gary Neville and Ian Wright, with both pundits highlighting his stance with the media in recent weeks. This is a clear change from Euro 2024, when Real Madrid’s star was reluctant to give interviews and felt he had been made a scapegoat for England’s early exit.
He explained what happened at the time: “I didn’t feel good. There were some things that happened during the tournament. One of the big criticisms against me was that I didn’t talk to the media, I didn’t want to do a press conference. It was reported in a way that made people think I was above it, which is not the case at all.
“I had some personal things going on. There were journalists who were going to see members of my family, going to see my grandparents while I was in the tournament, and that was something I kept to myself. I don’t think that’s fair. It crosses the line of respect. That’s a little bit for me. I just decided to take it personally and focus on football and talk about it instead of talking to people who don’t seem to respect me. My nan didn’t want to leave the house all summer, bless her.
Bellingham started England’s World Cup opener against Croatia and scored the third goal in a 4-2 win at Dallas Stadium on Wednesday. He had previously stressed that he was solely focused on achieving results with the national team, but has since appeared in front of the media, something he did not want to do during the Euros.
And Neville and Wright think there’s some meaning to that. “Personally, it was nice to be able to put aside the noise and show my country and my teammates how dedicated I am to helping them win games,” Bellingham told reporters after the game. “Contributing, helping your team, helping your country are some of the greatest honors, and that honor never changes for me, regardless of the noise outside.”
The midfielder earned praise from Neville and Wright of The Overlap for stepping up and taking on the responsibility of delivering the interview. “If a player says, ‘Yes, I’ll do the interview,’ then he’s taking responsibility and standing up for himself,” Neville began.
“Jude, what are you doing? You’re a star, you’re someone who can carry it in all fairness, you’re an absolutely incredible guy, you’re a superstar. You’re asking one of your teammates to do it for you, who doesn’t have as much confidence as you, doesn’t have as much trust as you, doesn’t have as much faith in you as you do.
“So when you see Jude come out and speak last night, he exudes confidence. As a British fan and a broadcaster, I think, ‘Jude is speaking.’ Do you think the opposing players want to hear from Jude Bellingham, and I don’t mean to be rude, but do you think they want to hear from, say, Elliott Anderson or John Stones?”
Bellingham was on England’s scoresheet (Image: Getty Images)
“If you saw Jude today, whether it’s a Ghanaian player or a player who is going to play against England in the future… Jude is talking, he stands up, Declan Rice is speaking, Harry Kane is speaking…
“It not only sends a message to his dressing room that ‘I have faith, I take responsibility’, but it also sends a message to the other players on the pitch as well as on the opposing team, ‘the belief that he has, the confidence that he has’. I believe it sends a big message.”
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Wright agreed, adding: “Because it’s great to see him in interviews. He said in interviews, ‘Yeah, I was left out of some teams.’ He wasn’t going to miss the World Cup squad and I don’t think the altercation should have happened. So I was on his hill forever. I’ll die on his hill, because he showed why he is the way he is.”
Bellingham started ahead of Aston Villa’s Morgan Rodgers, with manager Thomas Tuchel saying he was “deserving” of his signing. The 22-year-old endured a tougher period last season, with his goal contribution significantly lower than the previous season.
But he reminded everyone of his class Wednesday night. “He’s a very good player, he deserves to start and that’s what he needs to do to fight for his place. That’s what he did and it was good,” England manager Tuchel said of the player after the match.
Neville also believes any “debate” that he might not feature in the World Cup is over after his excellent performance. He added: “To be fair, the discussion is over. We’ve been discussing it for the last 12 months, so by the way, at one point everyone was saying, ‘Is Jude going to start? Is he going to go?’ At one point, people were saying, ‘Is he going to start him?'”
The Three Lions will face Ghana in Group L next Tuesday, June 23 (9pm), and two wins will ensure their place in the Round of 32.
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