Tribal Football

Gary Neville urges Thomas Tuchel to start £88m England player vs Croatia

Jude Bellingham trains with England teammates
Jude Bellingham trains with England teammates IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters/Jim Rassol

England will play Costa Rica in their final warm-up match for the 2026 World Cup on Wednesday evening.

Thomas Tuchel is preparing the Three Lions for their opener against Croatia on June 17, and the German has some huge decisions to make with his starting lineup. 

Advertisement
Advertisement

That includes whether to deploy Marcus Rashford ahead of Anthony Gordon on the left and who starts alongside the seemingly nailed Marc Guehi at centre-back. 

Tuchel's arguably biggest call, though, is in the number 10 position, with both Morgan Rogers and Jude Bellingham vying for a starting spot against Croatia. 

Currently, it appears the former Chelsea boss favours the Aston Villa playmaker ahead of Bellingham, but former Manchester United defender Gary Neville believes the Real Madrid superstar has to start regardless.

Bellingham's drop in form during 2025/26 coincided with Madrid's struggles, but the 22-year-old has already showcased his star quality on the biggest stage, including two strikes at the last World Cup against Iran and Senegal. 

Indeed, Madrid's No. 5 - who cost them an initial £88.5m in 2023 from Borussia Dortmund - surely has to start in one of the attacking positions against Croatia.