Palmer, Foden, Bellingham, and Rogers stats compared – why England should trust one of them
With England’s 2026 World Cup squad missing some big names, Thomas Tuchel shared that it was tough to choose just two players for the ‘number ten’ spots. Gone are the days when Southgate crammed all the top talent into a loose formation. Tuchel wants two players for each role—except for the goalkeepers.
So, the two number tens heading to the tournament are Real Madrid’s rising star Jude Bellingham and recent Europa League winner Morgan Rogers. This means players like Cole Palmer, Phil Foden, and Morgan Gibbs-White didn’t make the cut.
Looking at the stats, did Tuchel pick right? Among the main candidates, he seems to value goals as much as personality. England has struggled for goals from midfield for years, especially since the Sterling-Lingard-Alli era ended.
Rogers edged out Palmer and Foden because he leads in goals among the four this season. While people say “form is temporary, class is permanent,” Rogers has actually been involved in more goals over the last two seasons combined (34 goals/assists vs. Palmer’s 33). He’s not just a bigger goal threat; he also creates chances, makes smart forward passes, and spends a lot of time in the attacking areas. He loves having the ball, and with plenty of game time this year, he’ll be ready to share duties with Bellingham in the hot North American weather.
Bellingham, who’s been England’s key player in the last two tournaments, was always going to go. His amazing stamina will be crucial in the heat, and his link-up play with Harry Kane could be a big factor in England’s success. What really sets him apart is how well he holds onto the ball. In big tournaments, keeping possession is vital, and Bellingham’s skill in passing—both short and long—can spread the opponents out before he makes runs into the box like Frank Lampard used to.
Foden and Palmer aren’t far behind Bellingham in short passing skills and are way ahead of Rogers, but it might be smart to have Jude wear down defenders before bringing Rogers in to exploit tired legs and find key scoring spots—where he’s proven deadly.
Even though Foden has been left out of many Manchester City games and may be thinking about a move for more playtime, his creativity shouldn’t be overlooked. He has five assists this season, second-highest among the four, highlighted by a fantastic backheel assist in his last start. He’s made the most chances, too—even with far fewer minutes than Rogers—which shows how City has struggled to finish. But with Harry Kane’s sharpness, losing that creative spark on the edge of the box could be felt.
Palmer didn’t make the squad mostly because he didn’t lead in any major stats, though he’s known for staying calm in big games. But just by the numbers, Rogers and Bellingham seem like the smart picks—unless you think of Palmer as a right winger and Foden on the left.