World Cup 2026: Jude Bellingham best at World Cup and Harry Kane can destroy Argentina – Rooney
Former England striker Wayne Rooney says Jude Bellingham is the best player in the World Cup so far.
Real Madrid midfielder Bellingham scored six goals in six games for England, leaving him just two behind France’s Kylian Mbappe and Argentina’s Lionel Messi in the Golden Boot rankings.
Erling Haaland, whose Norwegian team was eliminated by England in the quarter-finals, is in seventh place, while Three Lions captain Harry Kane is level with Bellingham.
England will face Messi’s Argentina in the second semi-final on Wednesday (20:00 CET). The match will be broadcast live on BBC One, BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website and app and BBC Radio 5 Live.
“You’re looking at someone like Mbappe or Haaland in terms of the best in the world,” Rooney said on The Wayne Rooney Show.
“Bellingham didn’t quite reach those levels at Real Madrid this season, but for me he was the best player of the tournament.”
Bellingham, 23, has become a key player for England with nine goals and three assists in World Cups and European Championships.
His Real Madrid teammate Mbappe (with 12 goals) became the only European player to score more than nine goals in a major tournament before the age of 24.
Bellingham averages a goal or assist for England every 138 minutes in major competitions, while in other international matches the figure is every 284 minutes.
In this World Cup he scored two goals in the group wins against Croatia and Panama, then against Mexico and Norway in the knockout stage.
“At Jude, it’s all about energy, passion, desire and motivation, and that’s how it reaps its rewards,” Rooney said.
“It’s very rare for that to happen. A lot of these top players rely on skill and technique to capture their moments. Jude has the desire and the hunger and it’s so refreshing to see a player do that while also playing the toughest game.”
“That’s what the fans want, especially the fans in England. They want to see the players running and working for the team and the badge.
“It reminds me of me when one minute you think, ‘This kid is a genius,’ and the next minute you think, ‘Don’t enter that fight, don’t get kicked out of the game.’
“That’s exactly how I was. But he’s clearly backing it in the biggest tournament. There were doubts before, but he put all that aside.”
