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Bellingham best player at World Cup – Rooney
Wayne Rooney says Jude Bellingham has been the standout player of the 2026 World Cup so far, despite arguing that Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland remain the best players in the world overall. His comments come before England’s semi-final against Argentina, where Rooney also suggested Harry Kane could be decisive because Argentina’s central defenders may struggle to cope with him. The remarks matter because they underline how heavily England’s hopes rest on Bellingham’s tournament form and Kane’s ability to deliver in the biggest match so far.
Bellingham, 23, has scored six goals in six games and has also built an impressive England record in major tournaments, with nine goals and three assists across World Cups and European Championships. Kane is level with Bellingham on six goals, and the pair have scored 12 of England’s 13 goals at this World Cup, a level of reliance unmatched by any team with more than 10 goals in a single tournament. Rooney highlighted Bellingham’s energy, drive and big-game impact, while noting that either Bellingham or Kane would set a new England single-tournament scoring mark if they score against Argentina, surpassing the six goals managed by Gary Lineker in 1986 and Kane in 2018.
In short
- Rooney calls Bellingham the World Cup’s best player
- Kane and Bellingham have carried England’s attack
- Rooney says Kane can trouble Argentina’s defence
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Bellingham's exceptional goal-scoring record—six goals in six matches—combined with Rooney's expert assessment of his energy and big-game impact, plus his proven major-tournament pedigree, provides substantive evidence for his standout status. His consistent performance across multiple fixtures demonstrates genuine championship-level excellence.
The case against
Naming a World Cup standout requires comprehensive comparison across all competing nations and positions, yet the story offers no such systematic analysis beyond goal-scoring records. Rooney himself acknowledges Mbappé and Haaland remain world-class, suggesting other elite players may be performing at equivalent levels, and without accounting for creative influence, defensive solidity, or other key metrics, the claim of standout status remains incompletely substantiated.
Explained simply
Jude Bellingham is a 23-year-old England midfielder at the 2026 World Cup. He has scored six goals in England's first six matches and has become a central figure in the team's attacking play.
Bellingham and captain Harry Kane have been the primary sources of England's goals, scoring 12 of England's 13 goals together in the tournament. This concentration of goal-scoring responsibility is notable, as most World Cup teams rely on a broader range of scorers.
England face Argentina in the semi-final, where maintaining attacking performance will be crucial. If either Bellingham or Kane scores in the match, they will set a new England record for most goals by a player in a single World Cup tournament, currently standing at six.