19 Jul,2026
6 hours ago
Jude Bellingham scored six goals for England during the World Cup as England finished by defeating France 6-4 in a remarkable third-place play-off.
BBC Sport England reporter Alex Howell rates how the players performed throughout the tournament.
Jordan Pickford: The Everton goalkeeper is undoubtedly England's number one and has proven he can handle the big stage. However, this was not Pickford's best tournament, producing some erratic moments. His top performance came in the semi-final loss to Argentina, but he will question himself over Enzo Fernandez's goal. 6
Dean Henderson: England's second-choice goalkeeper came to the tournament in form. Henderson started the bronze-medal match against France, making an excellent save to deny Kylian Mbappe, but conceded three goals. 6
James Trafford: Came to the tournament as third choice and did not feature, but traveling to a World Cup is great experience. N/A
Ezri Konsa: The Aston Villa defender played in every game and demonstrated he has the quality for international football. He was a starting centre-back and also played at right-back in the win over Norway in the quarter-finals. He ended the tournament with a goal in the third-place play-off. 7
John Stones: There was considerable debate over Thomas Tuchel's decision to take Stones due to his fitness issues. He started the first game, had shaky moments, and dropped out for the next couple. However, he regrouped and started the quarter-final win over Norway and semi-final defeat to Argentina. The 32-year-old showed his quality but was caught under the ball for Lautaro Martinez's winner. 7
Marc Guehi: A mainstay of the England backline at major tournaments. Guehi did not start the opening game against Croatia but showed his usual calmness and quality when he entered. He performed excellently against Manchester City teammate Erling Haaland in the quarter-final against Norway, continuing to perform well until England's exit. 8
Trevoh Chalobah: The Chelsea defender was called up as a replacement for Tino Livramento. This decision prompted much debate as it was felt it left England short in the full-back areas. Chalobah was brought on in the closing moments of the win over France for his only minutes of the tournament. 5
Jarell Quansah: This was Quansah's first major tournament, and he was arguably a surprise pick for the 26-man squad. Still, the Bayer Leverkusen defender showed why Tuchel was eager to have him as a full-back option. Quansah started well against Panama before getting injured, did similarly against Mexico before receiving a red card, and returned for the third-place play-off, indicating a promising international future. 6
Dan Burn: The Newcastle defender's inclusion sparked much debate, but his performance against Mexico justified the decision. Burn's aerial prowess helped England navigate games, although Tuchel turned to that tactic too early in trying to hold onto a win against Argentina. 6.5
Nico O'Reilly: This was the 21-year-old's first tournament, and he grew into it after a shaky opening match. O'Reilly only became England's first-choice left-back in November, and to go from that to a World Cup starter in five of the eight matches is impressive. He is skilled on the ball but could use improvement defensively. 6.5
Reece James: The Chelsea captain stated it was