THE WORLD CUP PURSUIT Bellingham, Kane key to England’s success

When the Three Lions take to the field at 11 a.m. today in the Round of 32 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, all eyes will be on star players Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane to lead the way as England goes searching for their second World Cup triumph.

England enjoyed a fairly comfortable group stage campaign where they finished atop Group L with two wins and a draw under their belt.

They got the better of rivals Croatia 4-2 in an exciting opening game before being held to a scoreless draw against Ghana in their second game.

They closed out the final group stage match with a 2-0 win over Panama to finish with seven points and secure group honours.

The star players for the Three Lions have undoubtedly been Real Madrid’s Bellingham and Bayern Munich’s marksman Kane.

Of the six goals scored, Bellingham and Kane were involved in five, with Bellingham tallying two goals and one assist and Kane scoring three.

In fact, the duo have been involved in a vast majority of England’s chances throughout the campaign and it is not by accident.

With Bellingham’s eye for a killer pass and Kane’s lethality in the box, England’s attack has been focused around the pair, with supporting casts like Anthony Gordon, Noni Madueke, Bukayo Saka, Elliot Anderson and Marcus Rashford often facilitating their talents.

But while England can rely on the their attacking strength, there are concerns surrounding player availability.

Before the start of the World Cup, Newcastle’s Tino Livramento was forced to withdraw from the squad due to injury.

Their injury woes continued as Reece James and Jarell Quansah have both picked up injuries during the campaign, limiting England’s defensive options.

Head coach Thomas Tuchel will now have to be very careful with his match day selections and in-game substitutions, knowing he will be missing key defensive pieces.

England will face DR Congo in their Round of 32 fixture, a game where they enter as favourites.

But it will not be a walk in park for Tuchel’s side as they will be wary of DR Congo who have proven to be a difficult team to break down.