Bellingham reveals James Bond ambition after starring World Cup displays for England

Jude Bellingham has added a rather unexpected entry to his list of ambitions: playing James Bond. The England midfielder, who has been one of the most eye-catching players at the World Cup following a goal in the 4-2 opening win over Croatia and man-of-the-match performances against Ghana and Panama, made the revelation during an appearance on Fox’s World Cup After Hours show with James Corden.

“I’d love to be in a movie,” the 23-year-old Real Madrid star said. “People always ask me, ‘What’s the thing I’d want to do out of football?’ — and I never really give it that much thought, but when I have I always come to ‘I’d love to be in a film’.”

Bellingham went further, naming the specific role he has in mind. “I’d love to be James Bond. I’ve watched all of them — the Connery ones, Roger Moore, I’ve seen all of them. I love James Bond. I swear, I’d love to be in the back of a James Bond film. James Bond himself, but you’ve got to crawl before you can walk. They haven’t found a new Bond yet, have they?”

Corden duly put him on the spot, asking Bellingham to deliver the franchise’s most famous line. The midfielder obliged with “The name’s Bond, James Bond,” before quipping, “I think I’ve got a shot!” The pair also recreated the courtroom confrontation between Jack Nicholson and Tom Cruise in A Few Good Men.

Bellingham’s suave public image and the convenient initials ‘JB’ have already fuelled online speculation, and his name has circulated alongside rumoured contenders such as Jacob Elordi and Callum Turner to succeed Daniel Craig in the role.

However, Debbie McWilliams, the casting director responsible for selecting the last three actors to play Bond, offered a measured response. She said she would prefer “somebody who is completely out of the blue” for the part — a comment that could be read as a gentle reality check for one of football’s most recognisable faces.

For now, Bellingham’s attention returns to the pitch, with England facing the Democratic Republic of Congo in the round of 32.