Jude Bellingham earned the Player of the Match award in England's frustrating goalless World Cup draw with Ghana in Boston - not that the midfielder felt his display warranted it07:13, 24 Jun 2026Jude Bellingham holds himself to such high standards that he was embarrassed to claim the World Cup Player of the Match award against Ghana.The attacking midfielder was unable to match the heights he hit against Croatia in Dallas but still, he was not as bad as he claimed during a post-match flash interview.After being informed he had been named Player of the Match, Bellingham told the BBC: "I didn't deserve it, to be honest. It probably should've gone to one of their lads who defended so well. Had a couple of moments but couldn't get in the game. I'm grateful to whoever voted."Second game fever isn't it with England, isn't it? Win the first one and draw the second. It's OK. I think they played for a draw, which would have seen them go through. Fair play to them. They did a great job."When asked who he thinks off when he receives such accolades, Bellingham replied: "My family, team-mates, and the coach who gave me the chance to be at the World Cup. I probably didn't deserve this one but grateful nevertheless."Of all the 22 starters, only Antoine Semenyo (5.7) and Inaki Williams (5.8) received a lower rating than Bellingham (6) from FootMob on a frustrating night for the Real Madrid star and his compatriots.Most will have missed it because they had gone to bed but his picture, which had to be taken as the FIFA Player of the Match winner, told its own story as Bellingham was clearly uncomfortable, presumably because he was not best pleased with his performance.That should encourage England, though, because while Morgan Rogers, who impressed from the bench, is hunting down his jersey, Bellingham will now be itching to prove a point again versus Panama.He is the kind of talent that is so self-aware, he will feel embarrassed to collect the award, even though it's something to be proud of. It will keep the fire burning in his stomach and perhaps ensure he returns with a strong performance this weekend in New Jersey.Content cannot be displayed without consentImportantly, Bellingham is also right: a Ghana defender would have been a worthy winner and it feels almost strange to praise an individual England display when they played rather badly as a collective.He was an humble to admit he made a "silly tackle" to ignite tensions on the stroke of half-time, an incident that felt somewhat needless.The good thing is the England maestro is humble enough to recognise right from wrong and he also put his spat with Carlos Queiroz to bed by claiming he has nothing but respect for the Ghana boss.The 22-year-old is not to everybody's liking but he has class and a maturity that stretches way beyond his years.That competitive streak inside of him is merely natural and if you want to strip that back and take it away, he will not be half the same player.Get the latest World Cup news straight to your inbox by signing up to our Make Football Great Again newsletter now!Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.Content cannot be displayed without consent