Exhibit 5.1

June 1, 2001


Board of Directors of
WorldCom, Inc.
500 Clinton Center Drive
Clinton, Mississippi  39056

Ladies and Gentlemen:

         I am General Counsel-Corporate Development of WorldCom, Inc., a Georgia
corporation (the "Company"), and am familiar with the Registration Statement on
Form S-8 (the "Registration Statement") to be filed by the Company with the
Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") under the Securities Act
of 1933, as amended (the "Act"), with respect to 210,000,000 shares (the
"Shares") of Common Stock, par value $.01, of the Company ("Common Stock") which
are to be issued upon exercise of options granted under the WorldCom, Inc. 1997
Stock Option Plan, as amended (the "Plan").

         In connection herewith, I have examined and relied without
investigation as to matters of fact upon the Registration Statement, the Second
Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation, as amended, and the Restated
Bylaws of the Company, certificates, statements and results of inquiries of
public officials and other officers and representatives of the Company, and such
other documents, corporate records, certificates, opinions and instruments as I
have deemed necessary or appropriate to enable me to render the opinions
expressed herein. I have assumed the genuineness of all signatures on all
documents examined by me, the legal competence and capacity of each person that
executed documents, the authenticity of all documents submitted to me as
originals, and the conformity to authentic originals of all documents submitted
to me as certified or photostatic copies. I have also assumed the due
authorization, execution and delivery of all documents.

         Based upon the foregoing, and in reliance thereon and subject to the
qualifications, exceptions and limitations stated herein, I am of the opinion
that when the Registration Statement, including any amendments thereto, shall
have become effective under the Act, and the Shares have been issued in
accordance with the terms of the Plan, then the Shares will be validly issued,
fully paid and nonassessable.

         This opinion is not rendered with respect to any laws other than the
latest codification of the Georgia Business Corporation Code available to me.
This opinion has not been prepared by an attorney admitted to practice in
Georgia.

         I hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as Exhibit 5.1 to the
aforesaid Registration Statement on Form S-8. I also consent to your filing
copies of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement with agencies
of such states as you deem necessary in the course of complying with the laws of
such states regarding the offering and sale of the Shares. In giving this
consent, I do not admit that I am in the category of persons whose consent is
required under Section 7 of the Act or the rules and regulations of the
Commission.

                                      Very truly yours,

                                      /s/ P. Bruce Borghardt

                                      P. Bruce Borghardt
                                      General Counsel - Corporate Development
                                      WorldCom, Inc.