FIFA World Cup 2026: Jude Bellingham wrote the script and became the youngest European to…
England’s Jude Bellingham celebrates scoring his team’s third goal. (AP photo) England midfielder Jude Bellingham continued his remarkable rise on the international stage by becoming the youngest European player to feature at four major tournaments, capping the milestone with a goal in the Three Lions’ thrilling 4-2 win over Croatia to open the 2026 FIFA World Cup.The 22-year-old star re-entered the record books, surpassing Germany’s Jamal Musiala to become the youngest male player from Europe to appear in four major international tournaments — the FIFA World Cup and the UEFA European Championship combined.
Bellingham is rewriting the European record books
Aged 22 years and 353 days, Bellingham reached the milestone after previously representing England at UEFA Euro 2020, FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar and UEFA Euro 2024 in Germany.His latest appearance added another chapter to an already extraordinary career that began when he made his England debut aged just 17 years and 136 days, making him the third-youngest player ever to represent the Three Lions behind Theo Walcott and Wayne Rooney.The Real Madrid midfielder moved ahead of Musial (23 years, 108 days) on the all-time list, while Spain’s Pedri and Belgium’s Jeremy Doku are also among the youngest players to reach four major tournaments.The youngest European players to play in four major tournaments
- Jude Bellingham (England): 22 years 353 d
- Jamal Musiala (Germany): 23 years 108 d
- Pedri (Spain): 23 years 202 d
- Jeremy Doku (Belgium): 24-19d
- Michael Owen (England): 24 years 182 d
- Lukas Podolski (Germany): 25 years 9d
The goal seals an unforgettable evening against Croatia
Bellingham’s historic achievement came on a night when England produced one of the most entertaining performances of the opening round. Harry Kane struck twice before Bellingham scored in the second half and Marcus Rashford sealed a 4-2 win over Croatia in Group L.The midfielder’s contribution underlined his growing importance to Thomas Tuchel’s side, with Bellingham insisting that wearing the England shirt comes with immense responsibility.“It’s my responsibility to my team and my country to give everything I’ve got when I cross the line and when I wear that badge on the front, that number 10 on my back, I want to give the team everything I’ve got, with and without the ball,” Bellingham said.
Eyes on the next milestone
Despite a tough club campaign, Bellingham said he always finds extra motivation when representing England.“It’s been a long season for me. I’ve probably missed more camps than I’d like, more practices than I’d like, but I like to think that I’ve always got something in me and I know that when it comes down to it, I’m going to play for my team this time,” he added.Bellingham could be playing his 50th England cap when the Three Lions take on Ghana.