Wayne Rooney has named Jude Bellingham the best player at this World Cup, as the England midfielder prepares to face Lionel Messi's Argentina in the semi-finals. The former England striker’s verdict came after Bellingham scored his sixth goal in six games for the Three Lions, leaving him only two behind Kylian Mbappe and Messi in the Golden Boot race.
“In terms of best in the world I think you're looking at someone like Mbappe or Haaland,” Rooney said on The Wayne Rooney Show. “Bellingham hasn't quite hit those levels at Real Madrid this season, but he's been the best player in the tournament for me.”
“Wayne Rooney says Jude Bellingham has been the best player at the World Cup, with six goals in six games.”
Bellingham, 23, has become a big-game player for England, with nine goals and three assists in World Cups and European Championships. His Real Madrid teammate Mbappe, with 12, is the only European player to have scored more than nine goals in a major tournament before the age of 24. Bellingham has averaged a goal or assist every 138 minutes at major tournaments for England, compared to one every 284 minutes in other international matches.
He scored in group wins over Croatia and Panama at this World Cup, then twice against both Mexico and Norway in the knockout stage. Erling Haaland, whose Norway side were eliminated by England in the quarter-finals, is on seven goals, while England captain Harry Kane is level with Bellingham.
Rooney, who knows a thing or two about playing with passion, praised Bellingham’s hunger. “With Jude, it's all about energy, passion, desire, drive and that's how he's getting his rewards,” he said. “That's very rare to have. A lot of these top players rely on the ability and the technique to get their moments. Jude has desire and hunger and it's so refreshing to see a player playing the toughest game but also doing it. That's what fans want, especially the England fans.”
Comparing Bellingham to his own style, Rooney added: “He reminds me of me in terms of one minute you're thinking, 'this lad's a genius', and the next minute you're thinking, 'don't go into that tackle, don't get sent off'. It's exactly how I was. But he's obviously backing it up in the biggest tournament. There were doubters before but he's put all that to bed.”
England face Argentina on Wednesday in the second semi-final (20:00 BST), live on BBC One, BBC iPlayer, the BBC Sport website and app, and BBC Radio 5 Live. If Bellingham or Kane score against Argentina, they will close in on the Golden Boot lead – but for Rooney, the midfielder has already made his mark as the tournament’s standout performer.