Jude Bellingham became the first Englishman to score seven goals at a single World Cup with a late strike in the 6-4 win over France in the third-place play-off.
The Real Madrid midfielder was level with both Gary Lineker – who scored six times at Mexico ’86 – and team-mate Harry Kane, who netted six in Russia in 2018 and at this tournament.
Bellingham, 23, was brought on in the 79th minute and scored with the final kick of the game, leading a counter-attack from the halfway line to the France box before beating a defender and slotting into the bottom corner.
“He has such confidence in his own ability,” former England midfielder Danny Murphy told BBC One during the match. “The patience, the skill, the shot. What a goal from England’s best player.”
Twelve minutes earlier he had looked set to take a penalty but instead handed the ball to Bukayo Saka who converted to seal his hat-trick.
After the match, Saka told BBC One: “No, Jude [Bellingham] was never taking it. He was the first one to say go and get your hat-trick, so none of them came to distract me. I was always going to take it.”
