World Cup: England’s Bellingham calls for patience after Ghana’s frustrating draw
By Joel Masibo, June 24, 2026England midfielder Jude Bellingham has urged his teammates and supporters to remain composed following the Three Lions’ scoreless draw against Ghana in their second Group L fixture of the FIFA World Cup 2026 on Tuesday, June 23, 2026 in Boston.
The Real Madrid star acknowledged the disappointment of dropping points after England’s impressive opening victory but stressed that the result should not trigger panic within the camp.
“It’s very frustrating,” said Bellingham. “It feels like we’ve got that ‘second-game fever’ again. In most tournaments I’ve played, it’s been the same: a decent performance and good win in the first game, then a tougher second one.” The midfielder said.
England controlled much of the contest and enjoyed the lion’s share of possession, yet found it difficult to create clear-cut chances against a well-drilled Ghanaian defense.
Bellingham’s reflections
Reflecting on the challenge posed by their opponents, Bellingham credited Ghana for successfully carrying out their strategy.
“Credit to them – they got exactly what they played for,” he said. “We couldn’t break them down, even with all the corners, all the possession and the shots from distance.”
Despite the frustrating outcome, the midfielder insisted there was no reason for England to lose confidence ahead of their final group match.
“It’s important not to get too negative about it,” he said. “We’ll watch the footage, see where we could have been better and then prepare for Panama. No worries, no stress and no drama.”
Although only 22 years old, Bellingham has become one of the influential voices within the England setup. He revealed that maintaining morale among teammates was one of his priorities after the match.
“My message has been to stay positive and keep the good atmosphere we’ve built,” he said. “It’s not the end of the world. Four points put us in a good position. Now we rest, recover and go again against Panama.”
Growing expectations
England entered the encounter with growing expectations after their entertaining 4-2 victory over Croatia in the opening round. However, Ghana presented a completely different challenge and succeeded in limiting England’s attacking threat.
“Different opponent,” Bellingham said. “Ghana knew what they had to do to get out of the group, and they did it very well. Their shape in defence was excellent. They closed the middle and pushed us wide. The space in the center was very tight.”
The midfielder admitted England could have shown more creativity and urgency, particularly during the closing stages when they searched for a breakthrough.
“We probably could have done a bit more to open them up and, towards the end, it was about committing bodies forward and taking more risks. But like I said, it’s not the end of the world,” he added.
Bellingham also addressed the scrutiny that comes with representing England on football’s biggest stage, saying the squad remains focused regardless of outside opinions.
“When we play well, like the other day, we get the credit we deserve. When we’re not at our best, like today, it’s normal that people talk,” he said. “For us, it’s about getting on with it: going back, recovering, looking at what we did and keeping the same mentality and attitude.”
Looking beyond the draw, Bellingham believes facing a tactically disciplined African side will prove beneficial as England continue their World Cup journey.
“We’re not only going to play European teams or teams we know well,” he said. “It’s great to face a strong African team so early, with very different strengths.”
“They were hard to break down and very good on the counter-attack. That’s the good thing about the World Cup: you face teams and styles you don’t usually play against. It will help us for the rest of the tournament, for sure.” He said.