Bellingham: England Team More United for World Cup

England midfielder Jude Bellingham believes the national team is more united this summer than it was during the Euro 2024 final.

Bellingham played a big role when England reached the final but lost to Spain. He spoke about the squad’s experience and how they learned from that tournament.

According to BBC Sport on Friday, Bellingham said, "At the Euros we got some things a little bit wrong off the pitch," during England’s Lions’ Den show.

"I don’t feel like the group is connected as well as it could have for a number of reasons. Expectation was part of it."

England went into Euro 2024 as one of the favorites after reaching the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup and the quarter-finals in Qatar four years later. Even though they made it to the final, their performances were often questioned.

Bellingham added, "We were not playing particularly well so even when we were winning you didn’t get the feeling you were as happy as you should be."

The 22-year-old said the squad needs to find a balance between having a strong desire to win and enjoying their achievements.

"There has to be that element of relentlessness and wanting to win but it is the nature of football that wins and goes out of the system quickly and we should hold on to that moment a little more," he said.

As England prepares for the World Cup, Bellingham stressed that every player in the squad should feel valued and included.

"I think this time round, having those experiences, and knowing, for example, that the guy who scores the winning goal in the World Cup final isn’t always the one you’d bet your house on, so you’ve always got to be ready, everyone’s got to feel loved and feel a huge part of the team," he said.

"The other thing is just to enjoy it."

England will kick off their World Cup campaign against Croatia in Arlington, Texas, next Wednesday as they look to finally win a major tournament.