Bellingham to wear England’s number 10 jersey at World Cup

England have confirmed their squad numbers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with Jude Bellingham handed the prestigious No. 10 shirt in a move that could offer an insight into head coach Thomas Tuchel’s plans for the tournament. 

The Real Madrid midfielder has faced questions about his role under Tuchel in recent months, but receiving the iconic number may signal his importance to England’s attacking setup ahead of the competition.

Bellingham’s assignment of the No. 10 jersey has sparked speculation that he is currently ahead of Aston Villa playmaker Morgan Rogers in the race for the central attacking midfield role. 

Rogers has been given the No. 17 shirt, while other squad number allocations have also fuelled debate over Tuchel’s likely starting XI as England prepare for their World Cup campaign.

One of the more notable selections sees Manchester City youngster Nico O’Reilly receive the No. 3 shirt, strengthening suggestions that he could begin the tournament as England’s first-choice left-back. 

Newcastle United defender Dan Burn, another option on the left side of defence, has been assigned the No. 15 jersey. 

Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson has been handed the No. 8 shirt, underlining his growing influence within the national team setup.

At the back, the squad numbers appear to point towards a preferred centre-back partnership. 

Manchester City defender John Stones will wear No. 5, while Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi has been given No. 6, potentially indicating that the pair are set to start together in central defence. 

However, squad numbers are not always a reliable indicator, as evidenced by Chelsea full-back Reece James receiving No. 24 despite being widely expected to start at right-back.

England captain Harry Kane will wear his familiar No. 9 shirt, while Marcus Rashford has been handed No. 11 after spending the season with Barcelona. 

Rashford’s number assignment may suggest he currently has the edge over Anthony Gordon, who will wear No. 18, in the battle for a place on the left wing. 

Bukayo Saka takes the No. 7 shirt, while Ollie Watkins, Ivan Toney, and Noni Madueke are among the other attacking options included in the squad.