England midfielder Jude Bellingham continued his remarkable rise on the international stage by becoming the youngest European player to appear in four major tournaments, capping the milestone with a goal in the Three Lions’ thrilling 4-2 victory over Croatia in the 2026 FIFA World Cup opener.The 22-year-old star etched his name into the record books again, surpassing Germany’s Jamal Musiala to become the youngest male player from Europe to appear in four major international tournaments — FIFA World Cup and the UEFA European Championship combined.
Bellingham is rewriting the European record books
Bellingham, aged 22 years and 353 days, rose to prominence 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 remarkable career which 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 overtook Musiala (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 who played in four major tournaments
- Jude Bellingham (England): 22y 353d
- Jamal Musiala (Germany): 23y 108d
- Pedri (Spain): 23y 202d
- Jérémy Doku (Belgium): 24 y. 19 d
- Michael Owen (England): 24y 182d
- Lukas Podolski (Germany): 25y 9d
The goal sealed an unforgettable night against Croatia
Bellingham’s historic success came on a night when England put on one of the most entertaining performances of the opening round. Harry Kane scored twice before second-half goals from Bellingham 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 a huge 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’m wearing that badge on the front, that number 10 on my back, I want to give everything I’ve got, on and off the ball, to the team,” Bellingham said.
Eyes on another milestone
Despite a demanding 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 I always have something in me to know when this time comes, I’m going to step up for my team,” he added.Bellingham could make his 50th cap for England when the Three Lions next face Ghana.
