Jude Bellingham has firmly etched his name into the record books of English football. In a chaotic and thrilling 10-goal thriller against France in Saturday’s World Cup third-place final, the 23-year-old midfielder produced a moment of absolute genius to seal a 6-4 victory for England and become the country’s greatest ever single-match scorer.With his final sensational solo goal at Hard Rock Stadium, Bellingham took his tally to seven goals at this World Cup. According to sports analytics Opta, the seven goals are now the most 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 2026 World Cup).The historic milestone came in the final minutes of a frantic second half. Driven by Mbappe’s record-breaking performance, the French team launched a fierce counterattack and chased the score to 5-4. In stoppage time, with the game hanging in the balance, Bellingham took matters into his own hands.The Real Madrid powerhouse received the ball near the midfield line and launched an attack on the French defense. Showing a rare combination of raw power, agility and elite technique, Bellingham leapt past three gliding French defenders and cut sharply into the box. Facing the oncoming goalkeeper, he calmly and calmly fired a shot into the bottom corner. A brilliant solo effort put the final exclamation point on an unforgettable game, earning the Three Lions bronze.Bellingham’s path to this record was nothing short of remarkable. His place has been seriously questioned after being dropped from the starting line-up by head coach Thomas Tuchel on the eve of the World Cup. However, the midfielder was in fine form throughout the tournament, including crucial doubles against Mexico and Norway before a historic closing performance against France.While Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka won widespread praise for his superb hat-trick earlier in the game, it was Bellingham’s record-breaking seventh goal that grabbed the headlines. The young midfielder’s historic goalscoring achievement set a new benchmark for generations of English talent to come as England ended their tour of the United States with a win.
