England Extend Perfect World Cup Qualifying Run as Saka Shines and Bellingham Limited to Cameo
England maintained their perfect World Cup qualifying campaign with a 2-0 win over Serbia on Thursday, though the match was overshadowed by Jude Bellingham’s reduced role and ongoing scrutiny over his place in Thomas Tuchel’s plans.
England Stay Perfect, but Bellingham Benched Again
Bukayo Saka struck in the first half at Wembley, and Eberechi Eze added a late second as England secured their seventh straight Group K victory—each achieved without conceding. The performance, however, was far more subdued than the team’s recent free-scoring displays.
The main talking point came before kick-off: Tuchel again opted to leave Bellingham out of the starting XI, selecting Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers as the central playmaker. Rogers, who had impressed while covering for the injured Bellingham in October’s wins over Wales and Latvia, kept his place until Bellingham entered with 26 minutes remaining.
The 22-year-old Real Madrid midfielder missed September through a shoulder injury, then remained unused in October, and Tuchel has publicly insisted that Bellingham will need to fight for his spot ahead of next year’s World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Tuchel’s relationship with the midfielder has drawn further attention after he apologised earlier this season for revealing that Bellingham’s mother disapproved of her son’s fiery on-pitch demeanour.
England face Albania on Sunday for their final qualifier, after which Tuchel has just two March friendlies left before naming his World Cup squad. Bellingham’s role will remain under the spotlight until that decision is made.
Saka Provides Spark in Quiet Wembley Night
The Wembley atmosphere was muted throughout, echoing Tuchel’s recent complaint about the “silent” home support during last month’s friendly win over Wales. Bored spectators even resorted to launching paper aeroplanes toward the pitch during a slow start.
Saka eventually lifted the mood in the 28th minute. After Serbia goalkeeper Predrag Rajkovic punched away a Declan Rice free kick, Nico O’Reilly’s blocked effort fell kindly for Saka, who volleyed calmly into the far corner for his 14th goal in 47 England appearances.
England pushed for a second, with O’Reilly hitting the post and Harry Kane heading narrowly wide, while Rogers nearly converted a glancing header on the stroke of halftime. Serbia’s best chance came after the break, but Dusan Vlahovic squandered a close-range back-heel.
Tuchel introduced both Bellingham and Phil Foden—returning to the squad after a three-camp absence—with the latter deployed as a central striker in place of Kane. The changes paid off in the 90th minute as Bellingham combined with Foden, who released Eze to curl a clinical finish into the top corner.
England March On
The victory keeps England’s momentum building under Tuchel, who has now won eight of his nine matches in charge, including seven straight qualifiers without conceding. But as the World Cup approaches, the discussion around Bellingham’s status threatens to overshadow England’s on-field progress.