The number that separated Jude Bellingham from Erling Haaland at the top of the World Cup goal charts was not seven, but one.

Both scored seven times across the tournament, tied behind Kylian Mbappé on 10 and Lionel Messi on eight. Bellingham had one assist to Haaland’s zero, and that thin margin sent the England midfielder to third in the scoring charts and pushed the Manchester City striker to fourth. It also handed Bellingham FIFA’s Bronze Boot, a trophy he later said he had never heard of.

‘Didn’t know it was a thing’

Two months after Spain beat Argentina to win the World Cup, Bellingham was handed the boot at England’s Nations League camp and shared a photograph of it on his personal JB5 app.

“Bronze boot from the World Cup… Didn’t know it was a thing but thanks anyway,” he wrote.

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FIFA has awarded the Bronze Boot at every World Cup since 1982. Gary Lineker took it in 1990, Ronaldo in 2006 and Neymar in 2014, and none of them managed seven goals, the highest total any third-placed scorer has ever produced at a World Cup.

Seven goals set a new England record

Bellingham reached his seven across eight appearances at the tournament, ending his summer with a stoppage-time solo goal in Thomas Tuchel’s 6-4 win over France in the third-place play-off. England had lost to Argentina in the semi-finals, and Spain went on to win the final 1-0.

That haul is the most any England player has ever scored at a single major tournament, surpassing Harry Kane’s previous best of six.

Kylian Mbappé took the Golden Boot with 10 goals, becoming the first player to win the award at back-to-back World Cups. Messi finished on eight after being kept off the scoresheet by Spain in the final.

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England host Spain in the Nations League on 26 September.

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