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Even the unveiling of his World Cup squad raised several eyebrows and sparked intense debate. Will Thomas Tuchel push the limits once again on football’s biggest stage?

England head coach Thomas Tuchel has made it clear that star midfielder Jude Bellingham is not guaranteed a starting spot in his World Cup line-up, insisting that every player must earn their place.

Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham remains in strong contention for a starting role, Tuchel confirmed just before the grand tournament kicks off across the United States, Mexico, and Canada on 11 June.

“Roles can shift at any moment, but right now, there are about 14 or 15 players competing for starting positions – and Jude is among them,” Tuchel explained. Rumours have circulated suggesting that the former Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund boss shares a somewhat strained rapport with Bellingham.

Tuchel has previously described Bellingham’s attitude as “repulsive”.

Since taking charge in January 2025, the 22-year-old midfielder has made only four starts and has been used as a substitute three times. Instead, Tuchel has leaned on Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers, who has featured in twelve of the thirteen matches under his management.

Under former England boss Gareth Southgate, Bellingham was a fixture in the starting eleven, missing just 29 minutes in total during Euro 2024. However, injuries have disrupted his rhythm, and reports suggest ongoing tensions between him and Tuchel.

Following a 1-3 friendly defeat to Senegal in June 2025, Tuchel publicly criticised Bellingham’s on-field behaviour, labelling it “repulsive”, though he later issued an apology. In November, the manager remarked that he would “reassess” Bellingham’s attitude after substituting him in a 2-0 qualifier victory over Albania.

Despite benching Bellingham in England’s penultimate World Cup warm-up fixture, Tuchel surprised everyone by naming him captain midway through the match.

During the Three Lions’ 1-0 win over New Zealand in their second-to-last World Cup preparatory match last Saturday, Bellingham donned the captain’s armband after being introduced at half-time. Tuchel praised his impact, saying, “You can clearly see Jude’s determination and fighting spirit,” adding that the midfielder was “bursting with energy” and in “excellent form”.

England will conclude their World Cup warm-up schedule on Wednesday against Costa Rica before facing Croatia on 17 June, Ghana on 23 June, and Panama on 27 June in Group L.