Jude Bellingham has been collecting historic milestones the way most people collect streaming subscriptions. On June 17, the Real Madrid midfielder added another one to the pile: his first FIFA World Cup goal, scored in the opening minute of the second half as England dismantled Croatia 4-2 in their Group L opener at Dallas Stadium.

The goal gave England a 3-2 lead at a moment when the match was balanced on a knife’s edge.

How Bellingham changed the game

At halftime, the scoreline sat at a tense 2-2. Then the second half kicked off, and Bellingham decided he’d had enough of the equilibrium.

His goal came in the first minute after the break. A powerful solo run from the right channel, the kind of drive that has become his signature at club level, ended with the ball in the Croatian net.

For Bellingham, this was a moment that felt inevitable. He’d already announced himself on the international tournament stage with his header against Serbia at Euro 2024 and his spectacular bicycle kick against Slovakia. The World Cup was the one major competition where he hadn’t yet found the net. That box is now checked.

A record that underlines the absurdity of his career arc

Here’s a number that deserves some context. Bellingham is 22 years old. He has now appeared in four major international tournaments for England.

That makes him the youngest European player to achieve that feat.

His tournament resume now reads: Euro 2020 (played in 2021), the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Euro 2024 in Germany, and now the 2026 World Cup across North America. He was a squad player in the first, a starter in the second, arguably England’s best player in the third, and already decisive in the fourth.