Texas [US], June 18 (ANI): England midfielder Jude Bellingham has etched his name in football history by becoming the youngest European player to appear in four different major men's tournaments. At just 22 years and 353 days, he achieved this milestone during England's World Cup 2026 group stage opener against Croatia.
Bellingham was named in Thomas Tuchel's starting lineup, ahead of Morgan Rogers, further solidifying his reputation as one of the most seasoned young talents on the international stage, as reported by Opta Analyst.
He is the first player to reach this landmark before turning 23, setting a new benchmark in European football. The previous record was held by Germany's Jamal Musiala, who reached his fourth major tournament at 23 years and 108 days during Germany's 7-1 victory over Curacao just four days earlier.
Other young stars achieving their fourth major tournament appearance at the 2026 World Cup include Spain's Pedri (23 years, 202 days) and Belgium's Jeremy Doku (24 years, 19 days), who played against Cape Verde and Egypt respectively.
Despite being only 22, Bellingham now has 16 major tournament appearances for England, surpassing legends such as Frank Lampard, Tony Adams, and Bryan Robson. He leads teammate Bukayo Saka and is ahead of Josko Gvardiol (14), Pedri (14), Cristiano Ronaldo (12), and Michael Owen (12) in appearances before turning 23.
England kicked off their World Cup 2026 campaign with an entertaining 4-2 win over Croatia in Dallas. Harry Kane scored twice, Bellingham added a stunning second-half strike, and substitute Marcus Rashford sealed the victory with a late goal, as Tuchel's side overcame a resilient Croatian team.
