Many fans were left puzzled when Jude Bellingham was announced as the official Man of the Match following England’s goalless draw with Ghana at the ongoing World Cup. The Real Madrid midfielder had only managed one shot and one key pass before being substituted in the 72nd minute, with Morgan Rogers coming on in his place.

Even Bellingham himself appeared surprised by the choice. Speaking after the match, he admitted he wouldn’t have voted for himself or any of his England teammates for the accolade. “I had a couple of moments. It was hard to get into the game, and I’m grateful to whoever voted, but it should’ve gone to one of their lads who defended so well, so fair play to them,” he said.

Bellingham, who looked visibly frustrated during the encounter, reflected on England’s performance, saying, “Like always, it’s second-game fever with England: win the first one, do well, and draw the second. But it’s OK. I think they played for a draw as it would have seen them go through and fair play to them, they got a great draw.”

England’s inability to find the net left supporters disappointed, despite keeping a clean sheet. Declan Rice, another key figure in Gareth Southgate’s squad, also expressed his frustration after the match. Speaking to the BBC, he said, “It’s always difficult to play against 11 behind the ball as deep as they were, so you’ve got to find solutions. In the last ten minutes we probably found more than we did all game, and we were unlucky not to score. But we stay positive, we keep going, and we’ve still got a great chance to top the group against Panama.”

England began their World Cup journey with an impressive 4-2 victory over Croatia, but their momentum stalled in the stalemate with Ghana. They will aim to bounce back and finish their Group L campaign on a high when they face Panama next.