Jude Bellingham is One of the Pieces in Tuchel's Puzzle

England's victory in the final qualifying match was delivered by veteran striker Harry Kane, who scored a pair of goals against Albania. However, media attention was instead focused on midfielder Jude Bellingham. Not due to his impressive performance, but rather his somewhat peculiar demeanor.

Bellingham raised his hand in the air, signaling his frustration as midfielder Morgan Rogers was already preparing on the sidelines. The megastar of Real Madrid realized that he would soon be substituted by coach Thomas Tuchel with only six minutes of normal time remaining.

"I see that he is not happy, but I do not want to exaggerate the issue. Players like Jude are very competitive, so of course he never likes to be substituted. My words remain the same, behavior is key. This includes showing respect when a teammate is about to come on," said Tuchel.

It is understandable that Bellingham is disappointed. After nearly half a year, he was only just trusted to start in the last qualifying match at the Kombetare Stadium, Tirane, Albania, on Monday (17/11/2025) early morning WIB. The midfielder was also performing well, as evidenced by him receiving the man of the match trophy.

On the other hand, the 22-year-old player is somewhat immature. Bellingham was substituted because England was already leading by two goals. Tuchel did not want to take any risks as Bellingham had already received a yellow card. If he received a second yellow card, the player would be at risk of missing the opening match of the World Cup.

Tuchel also wants to give Rogers a chance, who only played 65 minutes against Serbia last Friday. "Morgan is clearly not happy when he cannot be a starter today because he deserves to play for us. He also wants to play continuously," explained the German coach.

If you want to win the World Cup, you have to play a little too hard sometimes.

Bellingham and Rogers are actually friends. They have known each other since their junior level, and even played together in the national youth team. However, that friendship does not apply on the field at present. They are both vying for the "number 10" spot for England in the World Cup.

Tuchel has emphasized that England will only play one attacking midfielder. This means his choice is between Bellingham or Rogers? In terms of quality, Bellingham, who has consistently been relied upon by England in major tournaments over the past few years, is indeed superior to his counterpart.

Despite this, Rogers has already managed to win the coach's heart. During Bellingham's absence due to injury, the Aston Villa player stepped in. Rogers played in all the group qualification matches and played a crucial role in leading "The Three Lions" to the final round.

Another factor that weighs on Bellingham is the star ego. If he wishes to participate in the World Cup, he must be willing to accept any role in the national team. As is known, Tuchel places a high priority on togetherness and the interests of the team. The coach does not care about star status.

Tuchel emphasized that the team comes before the individual. "If you want to win the World Cup, sometimes you have to play a little differently. You may not play every minute that you want, you have to do what is best for the team. The game has changed," he stated.

Kane, the England captain, stated that there is currently a new leadership group within the team. In addition to himself, the group includes younger players such as Bellingham, winger Bukayo Saka, midfielder Declan Rice, and defender Marc Guehi. They are at the top of the "Three Lions" pyramid.

Among them, only Bellingham has yet to secure a starting position. The other four players are irreplaceable in Tuchel's team. They consistently play when included in the squad, including Guehi, who has rarely appeared during the qualifiers due to injury. Guehi has always been the primary option in the defense line.

In addition to those four players, midfielder Elliot Anderson is also almost certain to be a primary choice for Tuchel. Since his debut against Andorra last September, the Nottingham Forest player has consistently been paired with Rice. The coach believes that their combination is very cohesive in the midfield.

Among the numerous positions, one that remains a mystery is the left-back. Tuchel has consistently changed players in that position during the last three international windows. Starting with Myles Lewis-Skelly (Arsenal), Djed Spence (Tottenham Hotspur), to Nico O’Reilly (Manchester City).

Finally, during this international break, O'Reilly played for 90 minutes in two consecutive matches. Tuchel's trust is attributed to the consistent performance of the 20-year-old defender at the club level. Meanwhile, Lewis-Skelly was not called up due to his decreasing appearances at Arsenal.

In the left-wing forward position, the competition is also wide open. Barcelona player Marcus Rashford is indeed the most trusted in that position, having appeared in 7 out of 8 qualifying matches. However, Arsenal player Eberechi Eze, who scored two goals in the last three matches with England, will add to the competition.

Regardless of that, the most intense competition occurs in the "number 10" position. Star players from the Premier League, such as Phil Foden and Cole Palmer, will also compete with Bellingham and Rogers. Moreover, Eze is also skilled at playing in the attacking midfielder position, as seen during his time with Arsenal.

According to Kane, the competitive atmosphere within the "Three Lions" camp will be a positive factor during the World Cup. "If you want to go far in the tournament, you need contributions from the entire squad. You really need players from the bench to make an impact. That is the essence of football; it's not just about the starting 11 who play," he stated.