Jude Bellingham has revealed that the criticism surrounding his place in the England squad could serve as the fuel that drives him to his very best during the FIFA World Cup 2026.

Ahead of England's opening group fixture against Croatia in Dallas, one of the most debated selection questions was whether manager Thomas Tuchel would hand the number 10 role to Real Madrid's Bellingham or Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers. Tuchel chose Bellingham, and the 22-year-old repaid that faith — scoring England's third goal shortly after half-time before Marcus Rashford added a fourth to seal a 4-2 victory.

"For me personally, it was nice to put some of the noise aside and just show my country and my team-mates how committed I am to help us try to win football matches," Bellingham told BBC Sport. "To contribute, to help my team and help my country is one of the biggest honours and regardless of the noise outside, that honour doesn't change for me at all."

A tough season behind him

Bellingham acknowledged that the 2025-26 campaign had been "a bit of a tougher season" for him. Injury disrupted the early part of his year, his club Real Madrid finished eight points behind eventual champions Barcelona in Spain, and his international standing faced scrutiny. Despite all of that, he insists he arrives at the tournament feeling "fresh and sharp."

He also welcomed supportive words from teammates, highlighting Jordan Henderson's praise that the former Birmingham City and Borussia Dortmund midfielder gives England an "X-factor."

When asked whether he had come into the FIFA World Cup 2026 carrying extra motivation, Bellingham was candid: "A little bit — I think I've got a little bit of a chip on my shoulder, haven't I?" He added that the sense of having something to prove helps him "find that focus early in the game and find that intensity."

"I know that it's part of being a footballer and I don't hold a grudge against anyone who says bad things about me because sometimes I do deserve it," he said. "Today, it was nice to try to show people and remind people what I'm about."

A moment of class

Bellingham's goal — his second in World Cup opening games, having also scored against Iran in 2022 — came from collecting Elliot Anderson's pass along the right touchline, cutting inside, and sliding a low finish into the far corner past the Croatia goalkeeper. It restored England's lead for the third time in the match, following two occasions in the first half when they had let a one-goal advantage slip.

BBC Sport pundit and former England defender Micah Richards was impressed: "Bellingham is a big-game player. Rogers is fantastic as well, but in the moment where you needed him, he comes up trumps and that is the difference."