FIFA
Doha
The intrepid England pair of Jude Bellingham and Bukayo Saka carved out their own slices of FIFA World Cup history in a comprehensive victory for Gareth Southgate’s team over Iran on Monday.
Midfielder Bellingham headed home England’s opening goal on 35 minutes to enter the record books as his national side’s second youngest World Cup scorer, at the age of 19 years and 145 days.
Saka, the forward from Arsenal, needed only eight minutes to join Bellingham among England’s three youngest World Cup marksmen. The player, aged 21y 77d, struck a bouncing ball into the roof of the net from 14 yards to displace Dele Alli from the metaphorical podium.
Saka added his second and his team’s fourth when he slotted home a tidy finish 17 minutes after the restart, duly seizing another piece of history as the youngest player to hit a World Cup double for England.
Manager Southgate selected Borussia Dortmund’s Bellingham – the third youngest player to start a World Cup fixture for England behind Michael Owen (18y 194d) in 1998 and Luke Shaw (18y 347d) at Brazil 2014 – ahead of the more seasoned Jordan Henderson and recently-stricken Kalvin Phillips. Saka, meanwhile, received the nod over Manchester City magician Phil Foden. And both men definitively justified their coach’s faith.
The inclusion of the two headline-makers – both making World Cup debuts – amounted to the only changes Southgate made from his team that began the final of last year’s UEFA Euro against Italy. Kyle Walker of Manchester City was not fit enough to start against IR Iran following a groin issue. Phillips is similarly recovering from a shoulder problem.
Owen is the youngest player to score for England at a World Cup after the striker’s goal against Romania at France ’98 when he was 18y 190d.
Dele, who has 37 England caps, was formerly the Three Lions’ second youngest World Cup scorer, the attacking midfielder striking in the Russia 2018 quarter-final against Sweden at the age of 22y 87d.
Context over the scale of Bellingham and Saka’s achievements is provided by the identity of the man who previously occupied third place on England’s list of youngest World Cup scorers. Jimmy Greaves was 22y 102d on the day he scored against Argentina in the FIFA World Cup Chile 1962.
Marcus Rashford replaced Saka after 71 minutes against IR Iran and duly stroked home England’s fifth, restoring a four-goal advantage after Mehdi Terami’s consolation effort.
Another substitute, Jack Grealish, scored in the final minute of normal time and Terami completed his own double with a penalty deep into time added on.
This was only the second incidence of England scoring six in a World Cup match, adding to a 6-1 victory over Panama in Russia four years ago.
England’s third goal before half-time – scored by Raheem Sterling, the only player in Southgate’s squad participating in his third World Cup – meant the Three Lions hit an opening game treble for the first time since defeating France in 1982.
USA are England’s next opponents on Friday, while Iran continue their Group B campaign against Wales on the same day.
