Jordan Henderson highlighted Jude Bellingham, 22, as England's potential "X factor" for the upcoming 2026 World Cup taking place in Canada, Mexico, and the United States this summer [1, 2]. Henderson said Bellingham has made huge progress since his international debut at 17 in 2020 and described him as a "big-game player" with significant tournament experience who has a huge influence on the England team [1, 2].
Henderson praised Bellingham’s impact on and off the pitch, saying, "I honestly couldn’t speak highly enough of him. I know a lot gets written in the media. I find it hard to read sometimes, really, because I just know how big an influence he is on this team, how good a teammate he is off the field" [1]. He added, "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 in this tournament" [2].
England enters the tournament as one of the favourites and has been drawn into Group L, where they will face Croatia, Ghana, and Panama [1, 2]. Croatia, who finished runners-up in 2018 and third place in 2022, are expected to be a tough opponent, particularly with 40-year-old Luka Modric still starring as a top-class midfielder [1, 2]. Henderson himself called Modric "probably the best I’ve played against in my career midfield-wise," marking him as a standout player England must contend with [1].
England’s Group L opener will be against Croatia on June 17 in Arlington, Texas, marking the start of their World Cup campaign [1, 2]. The team's hopes rely heavily on the young Bellingham to provide the creativity and drive to push England deep into the tournament.
Bellingham’s combination of youth, experience, and leadership has earned him high praise from Henderson, framing him as a central figure for England’s World Cup ambitions as the competition draws near.