Bellingham's surprise Bronze Boot arrives as England look ahead

Jude Bellingham has finally been handed the World Cup Bronze Boot, arriving more than two months after the tournament concluded, and the England midfielder confessed he was unaware such an award even existed. The surprise recognition caps a summer in which he netted seven goals for the Three Lions in North America.

Award and World Cup heroics

The Bronze Boot went to Bellingham after he finished level on seven goals with Norway’s Erling Haaland. Bellingham edged the Norwegian forward by providing one assist, whereas Haaland recorded none. Recent winners of the award include Neymar, Romelu Lukaku and Olivier Giroud.

During the World Cup the 23‑year‑old struck seven times in eight matches for the Three Lions. His tally featured braces against Mexico and Norway and a decisive goal in the third‑place play‑off versus France. He also scored against Croatia and Panama in the group stage and added a knockout‑stage strike.

Bellingham’s haul placed him third in the tournament’s scoring chart, behind Kylian Mbappé’s ten and Lionel Messi’s eight. Despite sharing the same goal total as Haaland, his assist gave him the Bronze Boot. His performances also earned him a place in the Team of the Tournament.

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He revealed the award on his JB5 app, posting a Getty photograph of the boot in its box. The caption read: “Bronze boot from the World Cup… Didn’t know it was a thing but thanks anyway.” The image quickly circulated on social media.

The seven‑goal surge more than doubled Bellingham’s England record, which now stands at thirteen goals from fifty‑six caps. The World Cup marked his fourth major tournament with England.

Club form and upcoming internationals

Back at club level, the Real Madrid midfielder has begun the LaLiga season in style, netting three goals and providing three assists in seven appearances. His contributions have helped Madrid maintain a strong start to the campaign.

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England head coach Thomas Tuchel has named Bellingham in his 24‑man squad for the upcoming Nations League fixtures. The side travel to Wembley on Saturday to face Spain, their first match since the July 18 victory over France. Earlier, Tuchel’s original 27‑player list was trimmed after Tino Livramento, Kobbie Mainoo, Cole Palmer, Marcus Rashford and Declan Rice withdrew, with James Garner and Morgan Gibbs‑White called up as replacements.