"Accept the decision": England boss Tuchel responds to Bellingham's substitution frustration

Captain Harry Kane netted a brace in the second half in Tirana to ensure England completed a flawless Group K campaign with eight wins and eight clean sheets. Bellingham, who started the fixture on Sunday, was brought off just six minutes before the final whistle, marking the end of his first start since June.

England fans voted Bellingham as the Player of the Match. After Kane headed the second goal into the back of the net, the 22-year-old put his arm in frustration after he saw Morgan Rogers on the touchline, waiting to substitute him.

"That is a decision, and he has to accept the decision. His friend is waiting on the sidelines. Accept it, respect it and keep on going," Tuchel said when asked about Bellingham's reaction as quoted from Sky Sports.

Despite Bellingham's reaction, Tuchel doesn't believe that it is against the attitude he has been trying to instil into the squad before next year's World Cup and said, "I didn't see it that way. I will need to review it, and I saw he was not happy. I do not want to make it bigger at the moment than it is. Players like Jude are so competitive, they will never like it."

"My word stands; it is about standards and a level. It is a commitment to and respect to each other. We will not change our decision because someone waves their arms," he added.

Kane, who was in the spotlight once again for his prolific performance, declared that England will march into the World Cup as "favourites".

"It's as good as we've ever had [the squad]. When you look at the starting XI and those coming off the bench, we're going to go into the tournament as one of the favourites," Kane said.

"We have to accept that - it's been like that for the last two tournaments. That's part and parcel. We've been building under the new coach, and we now look forward to a great 2026," he added. (ANI)