The result completed a perfect 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign of eight wins from eight without conceding.
Bellingham returned to the starting lineup but produced a mixed display before being replaced by Morgan Rogers in the 84th minute. The midfielder celebrated Harry Kane’s second goal with his teammates, yet moments later threw his arms up in frustration when he saw his number on the board.
Tuchel, who has urged his squad to prioritise the collective, said he would review the incident but stressed that England’s standards must be respected.
“He has to accept the decision,” Tuchel said. “His friend is waiting on the sidelines, so you need to accept it, respect it and keep on going. I saw he was not happy. If you have players like Jude who are so competitive, they will never like being substituted. But my word stands, it is about standards, commitment and respect to each other. We will not change our decision because someone is waving their arms.”
Bellingham still shook hands with Tuchel as he left the pitch, but the England head coach highlighted that competition for places remains fierce. “Morgan Rogers was for sure not happy when he could not start because he deserves to play for us and he wants to play all the time,” Tuchel said.
“We gave him a bit of a rest because he came with a lot of minutes for his club and played against Serbia. I stick to my words: behaviour is key.”
Tuchel reserved his strongest praise for Harry Kane, whose late double sealed the win and moved him past Pele’s tally of 77 international goals. Kane, who continues to score freely for Bayern Munich, ended qualifying with England’s attack built firmly around him.
“This cherry on top of everything is that he overcomes Pele today,” Tuchel said. “The investment of Harry in these matches is outstanding. If you see him play for Bayern Munich, it is the same. He is in a mindset and physical condition that are at the highest level. He produces goal after goal for us, works back, finds solutions. It is just outstanding at the moment.”
