Bellingham stars as England rout Iran in World Cup opener

Jude Bellingham marked his first World Cup start with England’s opening goal, heading in in the 35th minute against IR Iran at Khalifa International Stadium in Al Rayyan. At 19 years and 145 days, he became England’s second-youngest World Cup scorer, behind Michael Owen, and the strike was his first for the national team.

England turned that moment into a 6-2 rout on 21 November 2022, a dominant opening in Group B that also featured Bukayo Saka setting an age-related World Cup scoring mark. Gareth Southgate’s side left the match with a statement result before facing the United States and Wales, and the scoreline briefly made Bellingham look less like a promising newcomer than a player already carrying a veteran’s authority.

The comparison game around him started immediately, and it ran on real evidence rather than hype alone. FIFA’s list of the youngest World Cup goalscorers places Bellingham 11th all-time, alongside Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé and Pelé, which is a far more exact measure of his standing than any rush to declare him England’s next all-timer. He had already captained Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League at 19, and that background helped explain why England trusted him so quickly in Qatar.

Kieran Trippier captured the tone around the teenager after the win: “He can go as far as he wants to.” The line fit the night, but Bellingham’s case for historic status still rested on a single opener and a single tournament cameo of sorts, however dazzling. England have not matched their best World Cup performance since winning the tournament in 1966, and Bellingham’s breakthrough showed how rapidly he had entered the conversation without yet proving how far he could carry it.

FIFA later described him as one of England’s great hopes for the 2026 World Cup, a reminder that the opening-night burst in Qatar was not an ending. It was the first hard evidence that Bellingham had arrived on the biggest stage, and the next matches would decide whether the record books were seeing the start of a run or just the beginning of the pressure.