Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden are two of England’s brightest talents, and it is in Gareth Southgate’s hands to decide how to play them in each other’s company at Euro 2024 this summer.
The pair of Englishmen butt heads in this season’s Champions League final with Real Madrid and Manchester City both looking to reign victorious at Wembley in June as they look to stake a claim to be England’s shining star in the summer.
Foden and Bellingham have done their utmost for the Citizens and Los Blancos, respectively, during the current season – and are both hitting abnormal heights. But who, statistically speaking, has been more impactful for their clubs?
With the help of Squawka’s Comparison Matrix, here’s a closer look at the pair’s statistics compared to one another. Taking into account three different aspects of their respective domestic league seasons – shooting, dribbling and passing – they have both made compelling cases for being in the running for the Ballon d’Or, but who comes out on top overall
Shooting Stats Compared
Foden more accurate with shots
Bellingham is afforded more license to shoot in the Spanish capital compared to Foden, Pep Guardiola’s best Englishman, in east Manchester, largely thanks to his hybrid role. And that’s evidenced in the statistics. In terms of both goals – from the spot and not from the spot – the Birmingham City graduate excels.
Both have been in frightening form in front of goal this season with Foden’s haul of 14 and Bellingham’s 16-goal frenzy attest to just that. But the manner in which they add to their respective tallies is different. Foden is, statistically, the better finisher from outside the box, whereas Bellingham is deadlier in and around the box, scoring 15 inside the area compared to Foden’s 10.
Accuracy is paramount when shooting and Foden has precision in abundance. 73.08% of his shots this term – compared to Bellingham’s still impressive 69.05% – have been on target, which equates to 38 from those he has taken. The Los Blancos ace has taken 29, in comparison, of which 13 have been blocked. Foden has had a whopping 38 shots blocked since the 23/24 Premier League got underway.
| Phil Foden vs Jude Bellingham – 23/24 Shooting Stats Compared | ||
|---|---|---|
| Shooting Stats | Phil Foden | Jude Bellingham |
| Goals | 14 | 16 |
| Non-penalty Goals | 14 | 15 |
| Penalty Goals | 0 | 1 |
| Goals from Inside Box | 10 | 15 |
| Goals from Outside Box | 4 | 1 |
| Conversion Rate (%) | 26.92 | 38.1 |
| Shots exc. Blocks | 52 | 42 |
| Shot Accuracy (%) | 73.08 | 69.05 |
| Shots on Target | 38 | 29 |
| Shots Blocked | 38 | 13 |
Dribbling Stats Compared
Foden more daring, Bellingham enjoys more success
When it comes to taking on a man, forwards are either a) daring in their approach or b) play it safe to boost efficiency. Bellingham is seemingly the latter, as he uses his imposing frame to bruise past defenders, boasting a 56.94% take-on success rate. In comparison, Foden sits at 51.22%.
He has also won more fouls than his Manchester City counterpart, with his 68 triumphing over Foden’s tally of 48. In terms of take-ons which prove successful, Foden does one-up Bellingham – inarguably world football’s best youngster at the moment – with just one extra – 42 compared to 41.
It seems as if the Real Madrid talisman is better at retaining possession, however, with him losing the ball just 280 times for Carlo Ancelotti’s men this term. Foden’s record of 355 is inferior. What may come as a surprise is that neither Englishman has won a penalty for their respective sides this season.
When talking about their dribbling ability, both are evidently brilliant – and it’s that particular aspect of the game that could be the difference for the Three Lions in Germany once June hits.
| Phil Foden vs Jude Bellingham – 23/24 Dribbling Stats Compared | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dribbling Stats | Phil Foden | Jude Bellingham |
| Take-ons Completed | 42 | 41 |
| Take-on Success (%) | 51.22 | 56.94 |
| Fouls Won | 48 | 68 |
| Penalties Won | 0 | 0 |
| Possession Lost | 355 | 280 |
Passing Stats Compared
Manchester City man excels for the most part
Foden edges it, just. From looking at his chance creation numbers, the Stockport-born star has seven assists – compared to Bellingham’s four – and has plucked up 21 more chances this term, creating 59, which is favourably more than the 38 courtesy of Bellingham.
Statistically, Foden is more of the creative driving force as well. Not only is he superior in terms of passes attempted (1420) and passes completed (1259), but his variance of passing is what makes him such a joy to watch. Across the Premier League season, he has attempted 56 long passes.
