Jude Bellingham posts emotional World Cup poem from England driver

Will Castle Fri, July 17, 2026 at 2:51 PM UTC

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Jude Bellingham has opened up on England’s heartbreaking World Cup exit by sharing an emotional poem written by the team’s bus driver.

England succumbed to a devastating semi-final exit on Wednesday, with Argentina producing a late comeback to beat Thomas Tuchel’s side 2-1 and deny them a first World Cup final since 1966.

Tuchel has come under heavy criticism for his tactical strategy in the game, going defensive far too early when England were 1-0 up, which allowed Argentina to ramp up pressure on their final third.

But in a bid to keep unity and restore some national hope, Bellingham took to Instagram to reveal a touching tribute to their campaign by England’s driver in Kansas City, their base for the tournament.

The poem was titled “The Lions Way” and reflected on the nation’s journey throughout the past five weeks.

Jude Bellingham shares a poem written by England's team driver (Jude Bellingham / Instagram)

Jude Bellingham shares a poem written by England's team driver (Jude Bellingham / Instagram)

Jude Bellingham shares a poem written by England's team driver (Jude Bellingham/Instagram)

Jude Bellingham shares a poem written by England's team driver (Jude Bellingham / Instagram)

Alongside it, Bellingham wrote: “Was really struggling to find the right words for yesterday and the last few weeks but this pretty much hits the nail on the head from our driver in Kansas.

“Thank you for the unbelievable support from back home and to those who spent their hard earned money to travel to America and get behind us.

“Don’t let the unity and love we’ve seen in our country end with this campaign. When we’re together we can achieve big things… And we will! Love yous!”

Bellingham was visibly distraught after England’s defeat in Miami, which saw Anthony Gordon’s 55th minute opener cancelled out by Enzo Fernandez’s strike from range before Lautaro Martinez snatched victory in stoppage time.

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Jude Bellingham was visibly distraught by England’s exit (Getty)

Tensions boiled over with Bellingham appearing to slap unused Argentina substitute Valentin Barco at full-time, something the Real Madrid midfielder could face disciplinary action for.

Bellingham was also involved in a heated confrontation with Lionel Messi during the match, but clarified that the pair were “just discussing a foul” after a full-time.

He said: “It was nothing bad. I’m sure everyone will do their thing and make it a big deal but it was nothing big really.

“I thought there was a foul earlier and he said ‘what about the one on me?’ and I said ‘you’re strong enough to take it’, you know what I mean.

“It was a privilege to play against him, it was nothing like that against him. I’m obviously on the losing side, which hurts a lot, but a privilege to line up against one of the best.”

England captain Harry Kane, meanwhile, said he was felt “empty” by the defeat and vowed to fight on as England continue to search for the “final piece of the jigsaw” that can take them from nearly men to trophy-winners.

“No words are big enough right now to overcome this empty feeling in the stomach,” Kane wrote on Instagram.

“We were close, really close to another final but it wasn’t enough. We’ve given everything over these last seven weeks and to fall short is hard to take!

“I know the expectations are high and rightly so, we’ve been knocking on the door for eight years now but again are missing that final piece of the jigsaw! That’s where we have to go away, process it and find a way to get better.”

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Source: “AOL Sports”