England stars Bukayo Saka and Jude Bellingham are on the verge of reaching 50 senior international caps as they start their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign against Croatia on Thursday.
If Saka plays, he will earn his 50th cap at 24 years and 285 days old. This achievement will make him only the fourth men’s player in England history to reach the milestone before turning 25, joining Wayne Rooney, Michael Owen, and Raheem Sterling. Since making his senior debut against Wales in October 2020, the winger has scored 14 goals in 49 appearances, helping England win 29 of those matches while establishing himself across four major tournaments.
Meanwhile, Jude Bellingham is set to break records at an even younger age. Currently sitting on 48 caps, the Real Madrid midfielder will become England’s youngest-ever player to hit the 50-cap mark if he features in the first two group games. He is projected to reach the landmark against Ghana on June 23 at 22 years and 359 days old, breaking the previous record held by Wayne Rooney since 2009.
Additionally, Bellingham could also be the youngest European player ever to feature in four major international tournaments. He will surpass the record set just days ago by Germany’s Jamal Musiala.
Bellingham, who debuted at age 17 in November 2020, is also chasing a team success record. England have won 32 of his first 48 games. A win against Croatia, followed by another victory in his potential 50th match, would take him to 34 wins. This would place him just behind Martin Peters, Steven Gerrard, and Tom Finney, who each recorded 35 wins in their first 50 England appearances.
