Jude Bellingham emulates Wayne Rooney, Frank Lampard feat with second England Player of the Year award

Real Madrid superstar Jude Bellingham has been named England's Player of the Year for the 2025-26 season.

The 23-year-old is currently on international duty with Harry Kane and company, who are preparing to welcome World Cup winners Spain to Wembley for a UEFA Nations League clash on Saturday night.

Thomas Tuchel's Three Lions are back at the elite level of the Nations League after securing promotion from a League B group containing Greece, Republic of Ireland and Finland during the 2024-25 edition.

England are on a mission to win their first major title since that 1966 World Cup success and will look to produce a statement performance against a Spain side who are widely considered as the best in international football ahead of France.

Focusing on club matters for a moment, Bellingham is supposedly close to signing a new long-term contract at Real Madrid, with the attacking midfielder lifting La Liga and the Champions League for Los Blancos since his July 2023 arrival.

Back-to-back ✨@BellinghamJude is once again your England Men's Player of the Year connected by @EE! ?
— England (@England) September 25, 2026

'Beautiful little addition' - Bellingham named England POTY

Ahead of this weekend's crunch clash with Spain at Wembley, The FA have announced the results of the men's Player of the Year award, with Bellingham picking up the accolade after winning a supporters vote.

“It feels great,” said Bellingham after winning the votes of the Three Lions faithful. "Obviously, a huge honour to be recognised by the fans again. It is not something you think about when you play for your country, but it is obviously a beautiful little addition to the great summer we had.”

Speaking on Bellingham's impact at the World Cup, England boss Tuchel said: “I think he was one of the players of the tournament, not only for us but for the whole tournament. He lived up to his full potential; you could just see what a competitor and what a machine he is.

“He just thrives under pressure, he just loves these moments, he loves these stages and it brings out the very best in him.”

Bellingham finished the World Cup on seven goals - the best-ever tally from an England player at the tournament - including iconic strikes against Mexico and Norway in the knockout stages.

Bellingham emulates Rooney, Lampard feat

Real Madrid icon Bellingham becomes only the fifth player to win this particular England award in back-to-back years, with Bukayo Saka the most recent to do so in 2022 and 2023.

Unsurprisingly, all-time leading goalscorer Kane has won the Three Lions' Player of the Year trophy in consecutive seasons (2017, 2018), whilst Frank Lampard (2004, 2005) and Wayne Rooney (2014, 2015) are also part of the five-man club.

It is simply absurd that there were question marks over whether Bellingham should make the starting XI for the World Cup - with the greatest respect to Morgan Rogers's impressive contributions over the course of qualifying.