Thibaut Courtois is of the opinion that his Real Madrid team-mate Jude Bellingham has to play for England at the 2026 World Cup. A surprising debate has been sparked there, with the all-action midfielder being left out of Thomas Tuchel’s latest Three Lions squad. He is still recovering from injury, but questions have been asked of Bellingham’s character and how he fits into the puzzle being pieced together by a demanding German coach.
Injury and lack of game time: Why England left Bellingham out
Belgium international Courtois is in no doubt that Bellingham will form part of England’s plans when FIFA’s flagship event heads to the United States, Canada and Mexico. The expectation is that he will return to that fold when another break in domestic action is reached in November.
Bellingham should be fully up to speed by then, with the 22-year-old working his way back from summer shoulder surgery. He has taken in just five appearances for Real this season, with only one start – in a derby date with neighbours Atletico Madrid – being seen under new Blancos boss Xabi Alonso.
Courtois is convinced that Bellingham will be recalled long before another bid for global glory is taken in, telling reporters when asked if he expects a club colleague to join him at a major tournament in North America: “Yes, of course. I don’t think we can imagine England without Jude. He should be in the England squad, definitely.”
AdvertisementGettyCourtois explains why Bellingham has to grace World Cup
The Belgian shot-stopper added on the Three Lions confirming their World Cup qualification without Bellingham – with the Blancos star also absent from fixtures in September: “I don’t think it’s a problem. Jude is coming back from an injury, a surgery and he has to get his fitness in.
“He has to play. He hasn’t had so many minutes so for England and Real Madrid it is better that he is training and getting that extra physical work. Now we have a couple of tough games and hopefully he will help because he is an amazing player. He is one of our best players. I don’t know if Tuchel has called him or not. But I’m sure that even in November he will be back in the England squad. You want a player like Jude in the squad.”
Courtois went on to say of Real and England handling Bellingham with care: “He has had a long injury of four months so you cannot force them to go too fast. If you do then you can get muscle injuries and have a few weeks out and then if it happens again you can have another few weeks out. You need to have optimum fitness and then it will be OK.”
Why questions of Bellingham's character are 'nonsense'
Ex-England international Danny Murphy told GOAL recently when asked about Bellingham’s supposed flaws, which could be considered positives in the eyes of many: “I played with [Wayne] Rooney in his early England days, I played with ]Steven] Gerrard at Liverpool – they both had that fire, that extra edge to them that put them above everybody else, that belief in themselves. You can interpret it any way you want. I think the only relevant factor when you talk about people like that, young lads that have come on the scene and done what he’s done, it’s what do they produce on the pitch? How does it affect the game and how does it affect him?
“Some people are suggesting that the team would be more cohesive without him in it. It’s just nonsense. We have got lots of good players, of course. I love Morgan Rogers, he has done well the lad from Villa, he has come in and he can play. Cole Palmer, I’m one of his biggest fans but Bellingham, you don’t walk into Real Madrid in your first season and do what he did without having that belief in yourself. I hope, really hope, that he continues with that same attitude and approach because it makes him one of the best players in the world.”
Getty ImagesEngland challenge for Bellingham, Palmer and Foden
England booked their place at the 2026 World Cup with a crushing 5-0 victory away in Latvia. Tuchel has vowed to remain loyal to those that have impressed across recent camps, with the likes of Bellingham, Chelsea talisman Cole Palmer and Manchester City playmaker Phil Foden needing to prove their worth at club level if they are to be drafted back into the fold.
