Jude Bellingham breaks England goalscoring record against France with sensational strike in World Cup bronze medal thriller

England’s Jude Bellingham (10) celebrates scoring the sixth goal during the World Cup third-place playoff match between France and England. (AP Photo) Jude Bellingham has firmly written his name into the record books of English football. In a chaotic and breathtaking 10-goal thriller against France in Saturday’s World Cup third-place play-off, the 23-year-old midfielder produced a moment of absolute genius to seal a 6-4 victory for England and become the nation’s single-most goalscorer in a single tournament.Bellingham’s late sensational solo goal at Hard Rock Stadium made it seven goals this World Cup campaign. According to sports analysts Opta, the seven strikes are clearly the most ever by an England player at a single major international tournament, surpassing the legendary six-goal tally of Gary Lineker (World Cup 1986) and Harry Kane (World Cup 2018 and ongoing 2026 edition).The historic milestone came in the final minutes of a wild second half. France launched a furious comeback, fueled by a record performance from Kylian Mbappé, who pulled the score back to a narrow 5-4. With the game hanging in the balance at halftime, Bellingham took matters into their own hands.After receiving the ball near the halfway line, the Real Madrid powerhouse aggressively drove towards the French defence. Showing a rare combination of raw power, agility and elite technical skill, Bellingham leapfrogged three sliding French defenders and blazed into the penalty area. Facing the onrushing keeper, he calmly slotted a low, level finish into the bottom corner. A brilliant solo strike put the final exclamation point on a memorable match and secured a bronze medal for the Three Lions.Bellingham’s journey to this record is nothing special. After manager Thomas Tuchel was dropped from the starting line-up in the immediate build-up to the World Cup, his place was heavily questioned. However, the midfielder responded with massive tournament performances, including crucial doubles against Mexico and Norway before his historic final act against France.While Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka earned much praise for scoring a stunning hat-trick early in the match, Bellingham’s record seventh goal stole the headlines. As England ended their campaign in the United States with a win, the young midfielder’s historic goal sets a whole new benchmark for future generations of English talent.