Bellingham Breaks England World Cup Goals Record

Jude Bellingham is now the highest-scoring Englishman at a single World Cup. The Real Madrid midfielder netted his seventh goal of the tournament with the final kick of the game as England beat France 6-4 in the third-place play-off, breaking the record he shared with Gary Lineker and Harry Kane.

Lineker scored six at Mexico 86. Kane had matched that tally in Russia in 2018 and again at this tournament. Bellingham, 23, came off the bench in the 79th minute and sealed it in style — carrying the ball from the halfway line, beating a defender, and slotting into the bottom corner.

Twelve minutes before his record-breaker, Bellingham looked set to take a penalty. Instead he handed the ball to Bukayo Saka, who converted to complete a hat-trick. Saka confirmed after the match on BBC One that the decision was never in doubt — Bellingham told him immediately to go and get his hat-trick, with no one else coming to claim the ball.

The goal caps a remarkable Premier League-to-global-stage arc for Bellingham, whose influence across this football tournament has been impossible to ignore. England finish third. Bellingham finishes with a record that may stand for a generation.

First reported by BBC Sport Football.