While Jude Bellingham continues to carry the weight of a nation on the pitch in North America, his England teammates are keeping him grounded behind the scenes with a new nickname.
Jude Bellingham has been spectacular at the 2026 World Cup, recording four goals and one assist across five matches. After scoring against Croatia and Panama, he netted a quick-fire brace against Mexico to book a quarter-final place for England against Norway.
This campaign also saw him make history as the youngest player ever to achieve fifty England caps.
Many didn’t even see Bellingham as a guaranteed starter prior to the tournament, but now he’s arguably the first name on the teamsheet alongside Harry Kane.
With Marc Guehi a doubt for England vs Norway, is it time to start big Dan Burn? 👀
He has back-pocketed him almost every time so far…
Jude Bellingham known as ‘Unc’ in the England camp
According to The Athletic, Jude Bellingham has taken on the nickname of ‘Unc’ at the 2026 World Cup, which is short for ‘uncle’, is a popular internet slang term used to describe an older guy, usually someone who is a bit past their prime but still highly respected, seasoned, or full of life advice.
Morgan Rogers and Jordan Henderson in particular have given Bellingham the new nickname in a jokey reference to his seniority (despite only turning 23 last week).
For example, in the England squad, 36-year-old Kyle Walker was frequently called “Unc”.
However, Bellingham is at risk of missing the semi-final against either Argentina or Switzerland, should the Three Lions get past Norway due to FIFA’s yellow card accumulation rules.
The Real Madrid midfielder picked up a yellow card during England’s 2-1 victory over DR Congo in the Round of 32. Under tournament regulations, any player who accumulates two yellow cards before the completion of the quarter-finals receives an automatic one-match suspension.
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