Henderson backs Bellingham to deliver 'X factor' for England at World Cup 2026

Jordan Henderson has thrown his full support behind Jude Bellingham ahead of England’s World Cup 2026 opener against Croatia on Wednesday, insisting the Real Madrid star is “something really special” and the defining difference-maker in Tuchel’s squad.

Henderson, who turns 37 on the day England face Croatia, recalled first handing Bellingham his debut — away at Middlesbrough — and said the growth he has witnessed since then has been “incredible really.” Despite Bellingham’s starting place remaining uncertain, Henderson left no room for doubt about his teammate’s value to the group.

“I’m sure he will have a big impact for us in this tournament,” Henderson said. “He really gives us the X factor in our team. He’s had big moments in his career, he’s a big-game player, he’s got experience in tournaments, so he’s a huge, huge player for us.”

Henderson was also keen to push back against what he described as inaccurate media coverage of Bellingham, stressing that the picture painted publicly rarely matches the reality inside the camp. “I do think a lot of the media and the stuff that gets written isn’t all true, to be honest, or a lot of it is actually untrue,” he said. “But for us we all know what he can do, and how much we all love him inside the camp.”

The former Liverpool captain pointed to Bellingham’s conduct during England’s pre-tournament camp as evidence of a maturity that belies his age, noting how the 21-year-old has taken younger squad members — including Rio Ngumoha, Josh King, Alex Scott, and Ethan Nwaneri — under his wing. Henderson revealed that Bellingham personally handed Ngumoha his first cap after a recent match, describing it as “a little insight into what he is like behind the scenes.”

“Everybody forgets how young he is, even me really sometimes,” Henderson added. “We do rondos and it’s the youngest in, and there’s people that I think should be going in before him, but he’s always one of the first in the middle. It just reminds us how young he is.”

With competition for places in midfield intensifying — Henderson acknowledged a rivalry between Bellingham and Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers — Tuchel faces a significant selection call before kick-off. Henderson’s message, however, was unambiguous: keep Bellingham central to everything England do this summer.