England manager Thomas Tuchel said forward Jude Bellingham will have to fight for a starting spot at the 2026 World Cup. Tuchel, the former Bayern Munich and Chelsea manager, said the Real Madrid star will need to earn his spot as the Three Lions have 14 or 15 starters in the squad.

Bellingham is given the No. 10 shirt for the tournament and was expected to be a sure selection in the starting XI. However, Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers was often preferred over the Real Madrid star in the qualifying rounds by Tuchel.

The German said: “He is one of the starters, he knows he is one of the starters, but we have 14 or 15 potential starters.

“These roles can always change, but at the moment I think there are like 14 or 15 proper starters and Jude is one of them.

“He [Jude] looks good. He looks good in training. I think he is at the moment in a sweet spot because he has had his break and he has the hunger to be back on the pitch and after injury — this is normal.

“And he is so happy to be back on the pitch. You take everything in.”

On the other hand, former England and Manchester United defender Gary Neville questioned Tuchel’s comments and said Bellingham is one of England’s main players and should start for the team in the quadrennial event.

“I love Morgan Rogers — love him,” he told The Telegraph.

“But, let’s be clear, Jude Bellingham is not a sub. He’s not a sub; he’s a star. That’s it. He’s a star.”

England will begin their World Cup campaign against Croatia on June 17, before they face Ghana on June 23 and Panama on June 27.