Jude Bellingham has been the story of England’s FIFA World Cup 2026. His brace in extra time sent the Three Lions past Norway 2-1 in the quarterfinal, his fourth match-winning contribution in six games and his sixth goal of the tournament.
This tally that puts him alongside Gary Lineker and Harry Kane among England men to hit five-plus goals in a single World Cup. England manager Thomas Tuchel didn’t overthink the postgame question about his No. 10 and said, “Enough said, he does it every single match. World class.”
Now they are playing Argentina on Wednesday in Atlanta. The hype for this semifinal is unreal, especially with all the history between them going back to Diego Maradona’s “Hand of God” goal in ’86.
It’s also turned Bellingham into one of the most searched names of the tournament, on and off the pitch — which is how his relationship with American model Ashlyn Castro has become its own storyline.
Castro was born on Dec. 17, 1997, making her 28 years old and about five years older than Bellingham, who just turned 23 this summer. She’s made a name for herself as a model and influencer, working on campaigns for brands like Pretty Little Thing and even making an appearance in DJ Khaled’s 2021 “Popstar” music video. Right now, she has 847K followers on Instagram.
Dating rumors first started swirling in late 2024, with reports suggesting they matched on the dating app Raya. Things got official in early 2025 when she was spotted having lunch with him in Madrid and hanging out with his parents at a Real Madrid game. They’ve since been spotted together at the Madrid Open, on vacation in Sardinia, and at England fixtures throughout this World Cup.
Bellingham isn’t her first serious relationship, though. “I’ve had three boyfriends over the last eight years,” she said in a video, calling the subject “extremely personal.”
She’s previously been linked to actor Michael B. Jordan and NBA players Terance Mann and LaMelo Ball. All those connections resurfaced once her relationship with Bellingham went public.
For now, Castro is expected to be among the England supporters watching from Atlanta as Bellingham chases a first World Cup final since 1966.
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