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World Cup: Bellingham, Spence and stand-out heroes of England’s campaign
19th July, 2026 03:38 PM
England ended the World Cup with a third-place finish and a bronze medal, their best performance since the 1966 World Cup.
And despite it not finishing, their fans would wish for after the late 2-1 defeat to Argentina in the semifinals, the Three Lions had several players etching their names in the history books with unforgettable performances.
Jude Bellingham
The England ace aptly shut down the criticism that has followed him for some time now—especially in the buildup to the tournament when skeptics claimed he could not nail down a starting berth in the England squad.
Instead, Bellingham did his talking on the pitch, leading England to their best World Cup finish since their 1966 triumph. He departs North America as the highest-scoring midfielder in the tournament with seven goals.
The Real Madrid star ensured his campaign ended on a record-breaking note. By netting his seventh goal in the third-place playoff against France, he became the highest-scoring England player in a single World Cup campaign.
Ironically, Bellingham had the chance to seal the record earlier from the penalty spot but selflessly opted to leave the late spot-kick to Bukayo Saka, who was on a brace and looking to complete his hat-trick. Bellingham then popped up late with a brilliant, solo-effort run from his own half to score England’s sixth goal after coming on as a substitute.
What a performance, saving his very best for last.
Djed Spence
The inclusion of the versatile Tottenham Hotspur fullback raised plenty of eyebrows initially. Spence joined the England squad on the back of club struggles, with Spurs only narrowly avoiding relegation this season.
However, the only Tottenham player to make the squad proved his critics wrong with strong, resilient performances, especially in the tense group-stage matches against Mexico and Argentina in the semifinals.
Deployed at either right-back or left-back, Spence never complained about what he was tasked to do, rolling out one reliable performance after another.
His masterful display against Argentina saw him successfully contain Lionel Messi—earning him Messi’s jersey after the match. He didn’t stop there, either.
He returned for England’s third-place playoff against France with bustling runs and incisive play down the flanks. He ultimately won the penalty off Malo Gusto that allowed England to cushion a two-goal lead just before stoppage time, capping off a fine debut World Cup for the rising star’s history books.
Bukayo Saka
The Arsenal winger entered the tournament not fully fit but showed brilliant glimpses of exactly what he is capable of whenever he was on the pitch. Saka’s return to the starting lineup—after missing the semifinal against Spain due to coach rotation—left Three Lions fans wondering “what if” he had played in that crucial match.
His spectacular hat-trick against France saw him become only the fourth player in history to score a World Cup hat-trick for England, joining the exclusive company of Sir Geoff Hurst, Gary Lineker, and Harry Kane.
He ended the tournament with an impressive tally of three goals and three assists, despite only featuring in a handful of matches.
Other England stars with standout performances included vice-captain Declan Rice, who anchored the midfield while chipping in with a goal and an assist across several games.
Marc Guéhi grew tremendously into the tournament to become the bedrock of the team’s defensive line, while Manchester City’s new signing, Elliot Anderson, also impressed in his appearances.
