Jude Bellingham has firmly written his name in the English football record books. In a chaotic and breathtaking 10-goal thriller against France during Saturday’s World Cup third-place playoff, the 23-year-old midfielder produced a moment of absolute genius to seal a 6-4 victory for England and remain alone as the nation’s top scorer in a single tournament.With his sensational late solo goal at Hard Rock Stadium, Bellingham reached seven goals this World Cup campaign. According to Opta sports analytics, those seven strikes are now the most ever scored by an England player in a single major international tournament, surpassing the legendary six-goal tallies of Gary Lineker (World Cup 1986) and Harry Kane (World Cup 2018 and the ongoing 2026 edition).The historic milestone came in the dying minutes of a wild second half. France had mounted a furious comeback, led by a record performance from Kylian Mbappé, pulling the scoreline to a narrow 5-4. With the game hanging in the balance during stoppage time, Bellingham took matters into their own hands.Receiving the ball near the halfway line, Real Madrid’s powerhouse drove aggressively towards the French defense. Displaying a rare blend of brute power, agility and elite technical skills, Bellingham leapfrogged three sliding French defenders, cutting sharply into the penalty box. Faced with an oncoming goalkeeper, he calmly slotted a low, composed finish into the bottom corner. The brilliant solo strike put the final exclamation point on a memorable match, securing the bronze medal for the Three Lions.Bellingham’s road to this record is nothing short of extraordinary. After being dropped from the starting lineup in the immediate build-up to the World Cup by manager Thomas Tuchel, his place has been widely questioned. However, the midfielder responded with massive tournament performances, including critical doubles against Mexico and Norway before his historic closing act against France.While Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka earned plenty of plaudits for scoring a magnificent hat-trick before the game, Bellingham’s record seventh goal stole the headlines. As England end their US campaign on a winning note, the young midfielder’s historic goal-scoring exploits sets a whole new benchmark for future generations of English talent.v