Jude Bellingham becomes youngest European to play in four major tournaments

England's Jude Bellingham has become the youngest European player ever to feature in four different major men's tournaments. The 22-year-old reached the milestone at just 22 years and 353 days during England's World Cup 2026 opener against Croatia, appearing in EURO 2020, the 2022 World Cup, EURO 2024, and now the 2026 World Cup.

Bellingham was named in manager Thomas Tuchel's starting XI for the match, becoming the first player to complete the feat before turning 23. The previous record was set just four days earlier by Germany's Jamal Musiala, who reached his fourth major tournament at 23 years and 108 days.