Jude Bellingham and Bukayo Saka helped fire England into a commanding half-time lead in their World Cup opener against Iran on Monday - and made Three Lions history by doing so.
Bellingham broke the deadlock for Gareth Southgate's side in the 35th minute with a majestic header before Saka doubled England's advantage with an instinctive volley just five minutes later. Raheem Sterling completed the first-half rout in the 46th minute to effectively seal the points.
Bellingham and Saka won plenty of plaudits for their impressive performances - and it emerged that the young duo had made history with their quickfire double against Carlos Queiroz's side at the Khalifa International Stadium.
The duo's goals against Iran marked the first time in England history that the Three Lions have had two players aged 21 or under score in a single World Cup match.
Both Bellingham (19) and Saka (20) notched their first goal for England at a major tournament in the one-sided match, which was delayed for almost 15 minutes after Iran goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand was involved in a nasty collision with one of his own players.
Saka bagged a stunning second goal after the break to nudge England into a 4-0 lead before Mehdi Tarebi ghosted into the box and thumped home a consolation for Iran, who had offered little until the striker's powerful 65th-minute effort.
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Bellingham in particular caught the eye for England in the first half. The Borussia Dortmund prodigy has enjoyed a remarkable rise since joining the Bundesliga giants back in 2020 and has already plundered nine goals in all competitions for Dortmund this term.
And Alan Shearer was full of praise for the midfield magician at the break. Speaking about the youngster's goal, he told BBC Sport: " What a header, what a cross.
"This is what I mean about moving the ball, get your full-backs high then you’ve got to have the delivery and we’ve had it on the left and right. You need that quality and to finish it, what a header. He’s got nine already this season."
Rio Ferdinand also chimed in and praise Southgate for setting up with a back four - a move that gave Bellingham a license to roam against Iran, who struggled to trouble England's backline on a consistent basis throughout the match.
The former Manchester United defender, who played in two World Cups for England, added: " He must've known we would play four at the back and he'd have license to roam in midfield, that’s a big point in releasing him."
