Tuchel defends Bellingham after heated row with Ghana boss Queiroz

Thomas Tuchel moved to shield Jude Bellingham after a half-time confrontation with Ghana boss Carlos Queiroz spilled across the pitch during England’s 0-0 draw in Boston. The flashpoint came after Bellingham’s own “silly tackle” on Jerome Opoku, when Morgan Rogers had to pull him away from the Ghana bench as words were exchanged.

Tuchel described the episode as an “exchange of emotions” and framed Bellingham’s response as a show of character rather than indiscipline. Queiroz countered that Bellingham had reacted badly to “some bad names.” No cards were shown, and the tension had gone by the second half, but the exchange sharpened the scrutiny already surrounding England’s manager and his handling of one of his most important players.

The draw left England top of Group L with four points from two matches, and Tuchel’s side will qualify for the last 32 if they avoid defeat against Panama on Saturday. It also extended an awkward pattern for England, who have now drawn their second group game at each of the past four major tournaments. In Boston Stadium, 63,983 watched England again struggle to turn control into a decisive edge.

Bellingham, 22, became the youngest England player to reach 50 caps in Boston and was named player of the match, though he told the BBC he did not feel he deserved it. His central role remains beyond dispute, and so does the challenge for Tuchel: keep Bellingham influential without allowing his intensity to become a distraction when matches tighten and margins shrink.

That balancing act has already defined Tuchel’s public comments on Bellingham. After England’s defeat by Senegal, Tuchel described the midfielder’s behaviour as “repulsive” before later apologising. In November, he said he would “review” Bellingham’s conduct after his reaction to being substituted against Albania. The Boston row did not change England’s position in the group, but it underlined how Tuchel is setting standards for discipline while still defending the player most likely to tilt a tournament in England’s favour.