World Cup 2026: Bellingham reveals England squad lacked harmony during Euro 2024 campaign
By Joel Masibo, June 13, 2026England midfielder Jude Bellingham has disclosed that despite reaching the final of the 2024 UEFA European Championship, the atmosphere within the national team was far from ideal during Gareth Southgate’s final tournament as manager.
Bellingham is not guaranteed a place in England’s starting lineup for the World Cup clash against Croatia on Wednesday, June 17, 2026. However, his strong performance in Wednesday’s, June 10, 2026 friendly victory over Costa Rica may have strengthened his case for selection.
The Jude Bellingham star faces competition from Morgan Rogers of Aston Villa, though he emphasized that their relationship remains strong, having shared football experiences from a young age.
Bellingham on Rogers
Speaking to the Lions’ Den, Bellingham has described Rogers as a close friend.
“He (Rogers) is a top guy, he can get along with anyone, can have conversations with anyone. He can be a bit loud. We have debates that turn into arguments a lot. But we get on like brothers, to be fair.”
The midfielder added that his ability to operate in several positions could improve his chances of earning playing time, regardless of whether Rogers is included in the team.
“The manager (Thomas Tuchel) has made it very clear in a lot of the times where he has spoken that we are playing for the same position. I know that has eased up a bit more now that he sees me playing more positions and Morgs (Rogers) playing more positions, but I honestly have no ill feelings when he is playing and I’m not playing.”
While Bellingham believes the current environment around the squad is positive, he admitted that the situation was different during Euro 2024 in Germany. England advanced all the way to the final but often struggled to produce convincing performances.
Euro reflection
Reflecting on that tournament, he acknowledged that the group failed to build strong connections away from the field.
“At the Euros I think we got a few things wrong off the pitch, I don’t feel the group connected as well as it could have for a number of reasons.”
According to Bellingham, England entered the competition carrying the weight of high expectations, which became more difficult to manage as performances failed to match the team’s reputation.
“We were seen as one of two or three teams that could win it, but we weren’t playing well, which doesn’t help, so even when we were winning, we didn’t get the feeling that we were as happy as we should be.”
The midfielder also admitted that memories of that period remain uncomfortable because of the challenges the squad faced internally.
“I still remember how I was feeling at the time. It always makes me feel a bit uncomfortable because it was such a bad situation,” he admitted.