Data Shows Bellingham Is World Cup’s Complete Midfielder, Not Just England's
New analysis from BetBuilderAI (Gambling.com) shows Jude Bellingham is the only midfielder left in the tournament to rank in the top three for shots on target, dribbles and duels won.
He's also in the top seven for tackles and he is now England’s highest-scoring World Cup midfielder in the country's history.
Bellingham’s 98-second brace sent England past Mexico and into the World Cup 2026 quarter-final against Norway, and new data compiled by BetBuilderAI, Gambling.com’s World Cup data hub, shows his influence on this tournament goes well beyond one performance.
Statistically, he is now the most complete midfielder left in the competition, and at 23, already England’s greatest World Cup midfielder by goals scored.
Best Midfielder Left In The Tournament
Measured against all midfielders across the remaining teams, Bellingham tops the shots-on-target and goals charts outright, and is one of only two central midfielders in the world’s top three for match rating.
The other two players above him are forwards.
Perhaps the starkest line is this: Bellingham has scored more World Cup goals (4) than Pedri, Martin Odegaard, Kevin De Bruyne, Aurelien Tchoueameni and Alexis Mac Allister combined (1).
BetBuilderAI's Key Stats On Bellingham:
Bellingham Vs Mexico:
- Scored twice in 98 seconds
- All 3 shots were on target
- Player of the match with a 9/10 rating
- Made a goal-saving clearance when leading 2-1
- Looking forward to quarter-final showdown with Norway
The Complete Midfielder
Bellingham is the only midfielder left in the World Cup who ranks top three for shots on target, top three for dribbles completed and top three for duels won, while also placing top seven for tackles.
The tournament’s elite passers - Rodri and Pedri don’t score many goals. Ball-winners Tchoueameni and Mac Allister don’t create much. Bellingham is the only one doing all of it at once.
Jude Against His Own England Team-mates
- Highest average match rating in the entire squad (7.78), ahead of Harry Kane’s 7.6
- The only midfielder to have scored (4 goals; next best midfielder: 0)
- Most shots on target of any midfielder in the squad (9; next best: 3)
- Most completed dribbles in the squad (9)
- 2nd among midfielders for tackles, 2nd in the squad for duels won
England’s All-Time Greatest World Cup Midfielder By Goals
Bellingham’s tally across 2022 and 2026 makes him the highest-scoring midfielder in England’s World Cup history and he's not finished at this tournament just yet:
Player | Goals |
Jude Bellingham | 5 |
Bobby Charlton | 4 |
David Beckham, Steven Gerrard & David Platt | 3 |
Bryan Robson & Martin Peters | 2 |
Paul Scholes | 1 |
Frank Lampard & Paul Gascoigne | 0 |
Where The Numbers Are More Modest
- Not a high-volume passer: 161 passes, ranked 31st; that is Rodri and Pedri’s game, not his
- Barely registers for clearances: that’s a centre-back or holding-midfielder statistic, not his role
- His value is in winning the ball, carrying it forward, creating chances and finishing them
The Bottom Line
Most shots on target and most goals of any midfielder left in the World Cup. The only one defending and attacking at an elite level simultaneously.
The highest-rated player in the England squad. And already, by goals, England’s greatest-ever World Cup midfielder.
The debate over the best midfielder in England was settled some time ago; the best midfielder at this World Cup is now simply a matter of data.
