Jude Bellingham makes England World Cup history with record-breaking goal

Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham has written his name into the England record books after becoming the country’s highest scorer in a single FIFA World Cup campaign.

Bellingham reached the historic milestone during England’s incredible 6-4 victory over France, a match that will be remembered as one of the most dramatic encounters of the tournament.

The thrilling contest produced 10 goals in total, making it the highest-scoring World Cup match since Hungary defeated El Salvador 10-1 at the 1982 FIFA World Cup.

Despite England appearing comfortable for much of the game, France refused to give up and mounted a late comeback. After Ousmane Dembele scored to make it 5-4, the pressure began to build as the Three Lions looked to protect their narrow advantage.

However, Bellingham stepped up when his team needed him most. The midfielder drove forward and calmly finished to restore England’s two-goal cushion, securing a record-breaking moment in the process.

The strike took Bellingham to seven goals in the tournament, making him the first English player to score seven times in a single World Cup campaign.

He moved beyond the previous record of six goals, a mark shared by Gary Lineker and Harry Kane. Lineker achieved the feat at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, while Kane matched the record during England’s memorable run at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

Bellingham could have added another goal to his tally after England were awarded a second-half penalty, but he chose to hand the responsibility to Bukayo Saka.

The winger went on to complete his hat-trick, with Saka revealing after the match that taking the penalty had always been the plan.

Speaking to the BBC, Saka said: “No, Jude was never taking it. He was the first one to say go and get your hat-trick, so none of them came to distract me. I was always going to take it.”

Bellingham’s decision highlighted the unity within Thomas Tuchel’s England squad, but his record-breaking goal ensured he will forever be remembered as the player who set a new benchmark for English scorers at the World Cup.