Jude: 'I feel good'

Jude Bellingham says he’s ‘feeling good’ ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026, after finding his rhythm on US soil in England’s 1-0 win over New Zealand.

The Three Lions played their first preparation game ahead of this summer’s tournament in North America in Tampa, having touched down in Florida at the start of the week,

And it took a first-half header from Harry Kane to seal the win, before head coach Thomas Tuchel changed his team for the second period which included Bellingham as captain.

“I’m feeling good,” said the Real Madrid man.

“I’m probably a different way to into it than H [Harry Kane] but I am feeling good off the back of a tough season, with a couple of injuries for the first time in my career, but I feel strong. I feel excited, I feel ready.”

The England squad have faced an intense week of training to acclimatise to the conditions they’ll be playing in when their tournament kicks-off against Croatia in Dallas on Wednesday 17 June.

And with another game to come before then when the Three Lions play Costa Rica in Orlando on Wednesday (9pm BST), Bellingham believes it’s all good preparation for what is to come.

“We’re going to have to manage the game well at times and we want to play that full-force, high pressing, high tempo football - it's going to be difficult in the heat and with the pitches.

“I think we adjusted well, both sets of players made a great effort to get out of the game what we had to do before the football. We're pleased.”

This will be Bellingham’s second taste of the FIFA World Cup, having featured in the 2022 edition in Qatar.

And after getting the call to be among Tuchel’s squad this summer, the former Birmingham City and Borussia Dortmund midfielder is optimistic about England’s chances.

“It's a good mix, there's experience, there's youth in there, there's players who haven't come with us before,” he added.

“I think it makes for a good mix. We have got quality in abundance and with the senior players, like the skipper, Hendo, Stonesy, Pickers, I think we can go a long way.”