Jude Bellingham lookalikes compete for a £1,966 Deliveroo voucher | World Cup 2026
Now all together, arms in the air: There is one Jude Bellingham, there is only one Jude Bellingham…
Unless, of course, you find yourself in Shoreditch, east London, on Wednesday, where a dozen young men who vaguely resemble England midfielders have gathered for a contest almost as competitive as the one currently underway in the United States.
For English football fans who dream of cloning their furious match winners, the event could offer a glimpse of a fantastic future. Bellingham has scored six goals in as many matches in the tournament and one more goal from England’s midfield certainly wouldn’t go amiss.
For everyone else, it was just hours before England were due to face Argentina in the semi-finals in Atlanta, offering a wonky megaphone, a hoard of influencers with camera phones and an opportunity to kill some time before heading to the pub for an evening of stress and alcohol.
The award for Jude the Most Jude? This time it’s not a gold trophy featuring two figures holding a globe, but a Deliveroo voucher worth £1,966; It’s always a welcome gift, reminding us of the six decades since England’s last World Cup appearance.
Could this year be different? The Bellinghams were on the rise. Zane Proctor, a 19-year-old Manchester University student who learned about the event on Instagram, said: “Yes, of course. Come on England. He’s coming home.” “I was in the local area and thought, why not?”
He admitted it probably wasn’t the closest replica, but as a huge Bellingham fan, he had wanted to attend. “I feel like he’s a really good idol,” he said. “He gets criticized a lot by the media and I think the way he reacts to the media is very inspiring for young and upcoming players. So beyond football, beyond all the goals, I think he’s a really good ambassador for all the young kids who look like me and even those who don’t look like me, for all the young kids watching on TV. I really think he’s a good person to look up to.”
Gabriel Mian, a 20-year-old from Orlando, stumbled upon the incident by chance, despite being complimented repeatedly for his resemblance to the actor during his month studying in England. “I was supposed to come to the station anyway and some people told me I had to leave. [to the competition]Mian, who is staying in nearby Brick Lane, said: “I just went up and now I’m here, I guess.”
Bellingham, of course, almost has his own doppelgänger in the form of his 20-year-old younger brother Jobe; Jobe has copied his career so closely – like Jude, he previously played for Birmingham City, Borussia Dortmund and England’s Under-16s – that he uses his first name rather than his surname on his shirt to avoid confusion with his older brother.
Unfortunately Jobe Bellingham was not in Shoreditch on Wednesday. Instead, Marcus Legemah, 24, a postgraduate student at University College London, was awarded the similar crown to public acclaim, or at least half-hearted cheering.
Is he often said to resemble Bellingham? “Yes, but normally the only people in the bar are drunk people,” he said. “Since Jude has been playing better, he’s been playing better. So this tournament happened.”
He was presented with his award by “our Erling Haaland lookalike” (a blond-haired man with a ponytail) with several optimistic chants of “Kiss! Kiss!”, alluding to the real-life couple’s loving friendship. It was given upon his screams.
What was the trait he shared most closely with Bellingham? “Unfortunately, I don’t think there’s much to it other than looks,” Legemah said. Still, the victory “meant everything,” he said, somewhat sarcastically. “I’m so excited. Now I can celebrate the final with some friends over pizza and beer.”
But when it comes to who will win the World Cup, he has the confidence befitting England’s number 10. “I think we’ll win. You have to have confidence. I think it’s homecoming.”
