Jude Bellingham, the Real Madrid midfielder, has been named England men’s player of the season for 2025-2026, winning the award for a second consecutive season after a supporters’ vote through the team’s official app. Commenting on his victory, Bellingham said he felt great, adding that receiving the supporters’ recognition again was a huge honour.
He added that the award was not something a player thinks about when representing his country, but that it was a welcome addition to the summer England had experienced. Bellingham made 12 appearances for England during the season, scoring seven goals and providing one assist. All seven goals came at the 2026 World Cup, making him the highest-scoring England men’s player in a single edition of a major tournament, whether the World Cup or European Championship.
Bellingham leads England to third place
The 23-year-old midfielder helped England finish third at the World Cup, the team’s best result in the tournament since winning the title in 1966 and its highest finish at an edition held outside England. Thomas Tuchel, England’s manager, described Bellingham as one of the tournament’s best players, not just for England but at the World Cup as a whole.
He said the player had shown his full potential and displayed his competitive spirit and physical ability, noting that he thrived under pressure and enjoyed the big matches and occasions that brought out the best in him. Bellingham’s World Cup tally included two goals in England’s 3-2 victory over hosts Mexico in the round of 16 at the Azteca.
Mexico and Norway braces highlight Bellingham’s season
He then scored another brace to lead Tuchel’s side to a 2-1 extra-time victory over Norway in the quarter-finals and a place in the semi-finals. Bellingham chose the Mexico match as his standout moment of the 2025-2026 season, saying it had been a major occasion preceded by much discussion about the city’s altitude and Mexico’s strength at home, particularly at the World Cup.
He added that overcoming those circumstances and difficulties while making a clear impact on the match had been incredible. Bellingham had opened the tournament by scoring in England’s 4-2 win over Croatia, becoming the youngest European player to appear at four major international tournaments in that match, at the age of 22 years and 353 days.
Six days later, the Real Madrid player set another record when he made his 50th international appearance against Ghana in the second round of the group stage, becoming the youngest player to reach 50 caps for England men at 22 years and 359 days, surpassing the previous record held by Wayne Rooney.
Criteria for selecting the winner and the award’s record
Bellingham also spoke about the support from England supporters during the World Cup matches in the United States and Mexico, after joining his team-mates and the fans in singing “Wonderwall” after the victories.
He said the supporters’ passion, their large numbers and their louder voice compared with rival fans made a clear difference to the players on the pitch.
