Despite being just 20 years of age, Jude Bellingham has already become used to breaking records. The midfielder became Borussia Dortmund’s youngest-ever goalscorer in 2020, is the youngest Englishman to start a Champions League game and is the youngest player to feature in three international major tournaments.
That last achievement came when Bellingham started, and scored, in England’s opening game at Euro 2024 against Serbia. Having already featured at Euro 2020 and started all five games at the World Cup in Qatar, he broke Cristiano Ronaldo’s long-standing record by three years.
Bellingham’s goal against Serbia also set another record as it was the strongest header of the tournament so far, with the ball travelling at a maximum speed of 60.6kph, faster than some goals that have been scored with the foot.
This precise data comes courtesy of the Connected Ball Technology that is housed within the adidas Fussballliebe official match ball. This is the very first time that this type of tech has been used at the European Championships, with precise ball data sent to video match officials in real time.
Unlike some of Bellingham’s other records, this one may not last as long as there are still dozens of games to be played at Euro 2024.
More Euro 2024 stories
This is how to watch Euro 2024 live streams from anywhere in the world, while we have a guide on how to get Euro 2024 tickets if you're still looking to go to the tournament. We have the run-down on Euro 2024 stadiums, with info on host cities, capacities, and everything you need to know.
We have a list of the Euro 2024 favourites, with best odds on nations to win European Championship in Germany, while these are the best Euros games ever and these are the best pundits ever. With England set to be one of the favourites, meanwhile, we've analysed what the pathway to the final could look like for the Three Lions.
With plenty of favourites for the tournament in 2024, here's a look at the previous records of some of the bigger nations at the tournament.
