Real Madrid News
Real Madrid megastar achieves historic milestone for England at the World Cup
Entering the FIFA World Cup, there was a consensus that Harry Kane would be England’s most important player in the final third, especially given his stunning form for Bayern Munich.
As one of the most in-form goalscorers in recent years and an outstanding performer for England, Kane’s numbers were not disappointing as he netted six goals in the event.
He was, however, not England’s top goalscorer in the event and was eclipsed by Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham, who enjoyed a campaign for the ages as a midfielder
Another record broken
As reported by the BBC, Bellingham’s late goal in England’s win over France in the third-place match last night sealed a special record which will etch his name in national team history.
7 – Jude Bellingham’s seven goals are the outright most ever by an England player at a single FIFA World Cup or UEFA European Championship tournament.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) July 18, 2026
Heroic. pic.twitter.com/cWqwzTKBwe
Bellingham’s goal against France last night took his tally to seven goals at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and he became the first-ever Englishman to score seven goals at the competition in history.
The previous record was six goals, shared by Gary Lineker in 1986 and Harry Kane in 2022 and 2026.
Bellingham’s seven, however, takes him past the duo to sole first place – a staggering accomplishment for a midfielder to take home.
All special goals
What makes Bellingham’s goals at the World Cup special is the pressure that they all came under and how he held his nerve time and time again to deliver when it mattered most.
His first goal came against Croatia and was the goal that put his side 3-2 up after Croatia had equalised. He then scored against Panama to open the scoring after one complicated and hard-fought hour.
In the knockouts, Bellingham scored twice in two minutes against Mexico to put his side up against the run of play at Azteca.
In the quarterfinal game against Norway, he scored the team’s vital equaliser and then the winner in extra time.
His last goal arrived last night against France, and was perhaps the only goal that was scored when the team was already in a winning position.
Real Madrid News
Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr. admits finishing problem after another frustrating night vs Elche: ‘Can’t miss that much’
Vinicius Jr.’s difficult start in front of goal continued against Elche, and the Real Madrid forward did not need anyone to tell him he had missed another chance to make the difference.
The Brazilian finished the night without a goal despite having chances to get on the scoresheet, while his teammates could only watch from the bench as opportunities went begging.
Jose Mourinho had already identified the problem before kick-off, bluntly pointing to the issue facing his forward, stating, “He’s missing the goal.”
Vini offered an equally frank assessment afterwards.
Rather than hide from another frustrating evening, he accepted responsibility on social media: “The goals will come back; I can’t miss that much…”
Two chances, no finish for Vinicius
Vinicius had two particularly clear openings against Elche, but neither produced the finish Real Madrid needed from their star forward.
The first arrived when he found himself one-on-one with the opposition goalkeeper.
Instead of finding the net, Vinicius caught the ball with the tip of his foot and sent his effort wide. Arda Guler was available during the move and called for the ball, but Vini backed himself to finish the chance.
He had another opportunity after the interval, this time following an excellent pass from Guler during a quick Real Madrid transition. Again, though, Vinicius could not find the target.
His evening ended in the 68th minute, with Mourinho deciding the Brazilian was tired and turning his attention towards Sunday’s Atletico Madrid derby.
Mourinho has a bigger decision to make
The numbers show why Vinicius’ finishing has become a talking point. He managed five shots against Elche, but only one was on target and none found the net.
After seven appearances this season, the Brazilian has scored just once, which is a striking return for a player Real Madrid rely upon to provide a major share of their attacking threat.
Ultimately, though, Real Madrid found another route to victory, with Arda Guler, Kylian Mbappe and Carlos Espi providing the goals in the 3-2 comeback.
