Thomas Tuchel puts Bellingham in his place

World Cup 2026 17 November 2025 at 03:59

Aliou Toundé

News Editor

After England’s 2-0 victory over Albania, which sealed their qualification for the 2026 World Cup, Thomas Tuchel addressed Jude Bellingham’s reaction to being substituted.

The English coach explained:

I don’t want to make a big deal out of it, but I stand by my words: attitude is essential, just as respect for teammates coming on is. Decisions are made and a player has to accept them.

Regarding Bellingham’s frustration after being replaced by Morgan Rogers, Tuchel added:

I saw that he wasn’t happy. I don’t want to blow this out of proportion right now. My words remain the same: we have standards, a level of expectation, a commitment to one another, and mutual respect. We will not change our decisions just because someone waves their arms around.

The 22-year-old midfielder had picked up a yellow card just minutes before being substituted, which heightened the tension on the pitch.