Jude Bellingham broke England’s World Cup goalscoring record

Jude Bellingham became the first Englishman to score seven goals in a single World Cup with a late strike 6–4 win over France in the third place play-off.

Real Madrid midfielder Gary Lineker – who scored six times in Mexico ’86 – and team-mate Harry Kane, who scored six goals in Russia in 2018 and this tournament – were level with both.

Bellingham was brought on in the 79th minute and scored with the last kick of the game, beating a defender and slotting into the bottom corner before advancing on a counterattack in the France box from the halfway line.

“He has such confidence in his own ability,” former England midfielder Danny Murphy told BBC One during the match. “Patience, skill, shot. What a goal from England’s best player.”

Bellingham, 23, equals the record for most goals by an Englishman at a major tournament – joining Alan Shearer and Kane who scored seven goals at Euro 2000 and Euro 2024 respectively.

Twelve minutes earlier he was ready to take a penalty but instead played the ball to Bukayo Saka who sealed his hat-trick.

After the match, Saka told BBC One: “No, Jude (Bellingham) never took it. He was the first to say go and get a hat-trick, so none of them came to distract me. I was always going to take it.”