England national team player Jude Bellingham (10 years old) celebrates scoring his sixth goal during the third place match in the World Cup between France and England. (AP photo)
Jude Bellingham has firmly written his name into the record books of English football. In a chaotic, stunning 10-goal romp against France during Saturday’s World Cup third-place play-off, the 23-year-old midfielder produced a moment of absolute genius to seal a 6-4 victory for England and stand alone as the country’s all-time top scorer in a single tournament.Thanks to his sensational late solo goal at Hard Rock Stadium, Bellingham has reached seven goals in this World Cup campaign. According to sports analytics company Opta, those seven goals are now the most ever scored by an English player in a single major international tournament, surpassing the legendary six-goal tally of Gary Lineker (1986 World Cup) and Harry Kane (2018 World Cup and the current edition of 2026).
The historic milestone arrived in the final minutes of a wild second half. France made a strong comeback, driven by Kylian Mbappé’s record-breaking performance, which led to the score being reduced to 5-4. With the game hanging in the balance during stoppage time, Bellingham took matters into their own hands.After receiving the ball near the halfway line, the Real Madrid player made a powerful run towards the French defence.
Displaying a rare combination of raw power, agility and outstanding technical skill, Bellingham raced past three French defenders, cutting sharply into the penalty area. Facing an oncoming goalkeeper, he calmly fired a low, calm shot into the bottom corner. A stunning individual strike put the final exclamation mark on an unforgettable match, earning a bronze medal for the Three Lions.Bellingham’s path to this record has been nothing short of extraordinary.
After being left out of the starting lineup in the run-up to the World Cup by manager Thomas Tuchel, his place was in serious question. However, the midfielder responded with a tremendous performance in the tournament, including crucial braces against Mexico and Norway before his historic closing goal against France.While Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka received huge plaudits for scoring a stunning hat-trick earlier in the game, Bellingham’s record-breaking seventh goal stole the headlines. As England end their US campaign with a win, the young midfielder’s historic goal-scoring feat sets a whole new standard for future generations of English talent.