Here’s an understatement: Jude Bellingham has had a rather good season.
Signed from Borussia Dortmund for an initial €103million (£87.5m; $111.7m at current rates) last summer, Bellingham’s market value is now estimated by Swiss research group the CIES Football Observatory at a world-leading €250m (level with Erling Haaland).
With 19 goals from his 28 games, he has just finished as Madrid’s top scorer in La Liga. On Saturday, he will be one of the key protagonists in the biggest game in club football as Madrid take on Dortmund in search of a record-extending 15th European Cup.
By early October, we had run out of superlatives to describe his impact on the pitch. Off the pitch, industry experts labelled him the “heir to Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi’s throne”.
Playing in a new league, in a new country, at a new club (one as demanding as Madrid) and in a new position, the 20-year-old England midfielder has excelled. We can all see that.
But what might you have missed? What things might you not have spotted if you haven’t watched him every week?
Here, our writers share insights and observations from covering Bellingham over an entire season.
The natural leader
Bellingham has undoubtedly been the star of Real Madrid’s season — but he has also proven himself as a leader at such a young age. A few moments stand out.
When Madrid hosted Napoli in the Champions League group stage in November, Joselu endured a torrid night in which he missed a host of chances. The Spaniard held up his hands in apology when he finally turned home an outside-of-the-boot pass from Bellingham in stoppage time. Bellingham pushed him forward to enjoy his moment with the crowd.
Is there anything not to love about Jude Bellingham? ❤️
He guided Joselu to take the love from the Real Madrid fans, after the Spaniard scored to end a tough run in-front of goal 👏#UCL pic.twitter.com/FKtDGOYmMV
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) November 29, 2023
“It’s a big family, we’re a massive team and if one of us is having a hard time it’s important that we get behind him and help make him feel loved,” Bellingham said. “I tried to look for him when I had the ball on the corner of the box and thankfully I found him.”
The scene with Joselu was the mirror image of another with goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga after a 1-0 win against Celta Vigo in August. Arrizabalaga’s weak punch almost led to Celta taking an early lead — the goal was ruled out by VAR — but Bellingham insisted the travelling fans showed their support for the Chelsea loanee at full time.
Then there was the social media post after his winning goal in El Clasico last month, which ultimately settled La Liga. Others might have further turned the focus onto themselves, but Bellingham chose to highlight right-back Lucas Vazquez’s contribution after he won a penalty, scored Madrid’s equaliser and provided the decisive assist in the 3-2 win against Barcelona.
He kept it simple with his message. “Lucas Vazquez you f*****g legend.”
GO DEEPER
Lucas Vazquez won El Clasico for Real Madrid – he really was ‘f***ing brilliant’
Bellingham has known when to bask in the Bernabeu’s adulation and when to highlight the role played by others. That is a difficult balance at Madrid, where every move is scrutinised by supporters. Even as they celebrated their record-extending 36th La Liga title on the streets of the Spanish capital, Bellingham drew attention to Vinicius Junior — with whom he enjoys a good relationship, despite early rumours the two did not get along.
“I’m happy, here with the best player in the world,” Bellingham said in confident Spanish, hugging the Brazilian forward. It is truly remarkable how quickly and totally he has become a fan favourite, all the while helping elevate those around him, too.
Tomás Hill López-Menchero
The edgy side
It has been revealing to hear Bellingham so often described as “the perfect son-in-law” since he arrived at Madrid – by people close to the club and those in the media especially.
That he speaks well, politely, with courtesy and often charismatically has helped endear him to supporters and commentators alike, and he struck the right tone from the very start.
But we have also seen another side to him on the pitch.
Bellingham’s temper has often boiled over, such as when he was sent off at the end of Madrid’s 2-2 draw with Valencia in March. The midfielder thought he had headed home the winner in stoppage time, but referee Jesus Gil Manzano had already blown his whistle as the cross was played in — much to Madrid’s indignation.
Bellingham ran up to Gil Manzano and shouted “It’s a f*****g goal”, which earned him a red card. Despite being defended in public by head coach Carlo Ancelotti and his team-mates, and the club appealing the decision, he was suspended for two games.
It was the first straight red card of Bellingham’s career and he has picked up nine yellow cards in all competitions over the course of the season. He has been active in protesting decisions and has railed against a perceived lack of protection as the fifth-most fouled player in La Liga (72 times).
![](https://cdn.theathletic.com/app/uploads/2024/05/27091258/GettyImages-2046565454-scaled.jpg)
Bellingham thought he had scored the winner against Valencia in March (Jose Hernandez/Anadolu via Getty Images)
That came to a head in Madrid’s 4-1 win against Villarreal in December, when he clashed with referee Jorge Figueroa Vazquez. Bellingham was shown a yellow card, protested the decision and roared the crowd on against the official. The cameras caught Figueroa Vazquez appearing to say “Be careful with me” in Spanish and English.
There have been other notable incidents. In his first game at the Santiago Bernabeu against Getafe in September, he made fun of centre-back Stefan Mitrovic by pretending to use a bullfighter’s cape after wrong-footing the defender with his movement.
In February, Getafe complained he made an allegedly offensive remark towards their Manchester United loanee Mason Greenwood in a 2-0 win. A month later, the Spanish FA decided Bellingham would not face any punishment.
Two moments against Madrid’s fierce rivals Barcelona were widely celebrated by their fans. Bellingham cupped his ears to Barca supporters at their temporary Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys as he left the pitch after his match-winning brace in October. Then, after scoring the stoppage-time winner in last month’s Bernabeu Clasico that effectively sealed La Liga, he shushed the away fans during his lap of honour around the stadium.
Bellingham’s attempt to distract his England captain Harry Kane when the striker prepared to take a penalty in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final also gained plenty of attention.
Kane said he wasn’t able to make out what Bellingham said at the time but later further explained: “I spoke to him after and he said: ‘I know you’re going to go left of the keeper.’”
Mario Cortegana
The mass appeal
When Bellingham came in for promotional work at Adidas HQ in Herzogenaurach near Nuremberg earlier this season, the reaction was telling.
A source present – who, like those cited here, preferred to speak anonymously to protect relationships – summed up the tremendous aura and appeal around him.
“Adidas in Germany gets every star in the world coming in, Zinedine Zidane from time to time, every big athlete, for years and years,” they said. “Bellingham arrived and the place went mad. He’s very, very liked. He has gone into the world’s top three (stars) very quickly.”
All through his dream first season in Spain, Bellingham has been the headline act. Even back in the early days, there were similar scenes to those described above.
At the player’s entrance to Almeria’s stadium in August, soon after Bellingham had scored twice in his second La Liga game, a couple of local police officers were waiting, mobile phones in hand, to ask for a selfie. Bellingham obliged with his characteristic smile and charm, before climbing onto the Madrid team bus.
![](https://cdn.theathletic.com/app/uploads/2024/05/27092743/GettyImages-1612124306-scaled.jpg)
Bellingham pictured on his Madrid debut back in August (Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)
In early September, The Athletic was having a coffee with another source near the Bernabeu, as a family of Real Madrid fans, all four wearing jerseys with Bellingham’s No 5 on the back, walked past the window. “You know Bellingham is selling 10 times more jerseys than Vinicius Jr,” said the source, someone very well placed to know, with a smile of amazement. A couple of hours later Bellingham scored twice more – making it eight goals in his first eight league games for Madrid.
It was an astounding start to his Madrid career, making a bigger impact than any previous signing, outshining even former galacticos Zidane, Ronaldo or Cristiano Ronaldo, while retaining a winning confidence and assurance at just 20 years old.
The off-pitch connection with teammates, like Vinicius Jr and Eduardo Camavinga, was clear almost from the start, with all involved also happy to share evidence of their burgeoning friendships.
South 😆 pic.twitter.com/If6mktjP2i
— Eduardo Camavinga (@Camavinga) August 27, 2023
There was even a connection with Spain’s new tennis superstar Carlos Alcaraz (who is just seven weeks older than the Englishman). In early September Alcaraz marked winning a quarter-final match at the US Open Grand Slam event in New York by copying Bellingham’s famous celebration, with the pair then bonding over social media afterwards.
Que maquina!😮💨🫲🏽🫱🏽
Keep going mate.🏆— Jude Bellingham (@BellinghamJude) September 7, 2023
Even as Bellingham’s goals-per-game rate slowed slightly, he continued to charm off the pitch. When Alcaraz presented Bellingham with the Laureus World Sports Award for Breakthrough of the Year at a ceremony in Madrid in April, he joked naturally (in English) with the tennis player on the stage, as multiple former MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez (another Spanish sports superstar) smiled along.
All this has catapulted Bellingham right into the top bracket of the most marketable and popular sports stars anywhere in the world, with huge power to impress on and off the pitch.
Dermot Corrigan
Settling in Spain
Bellingham lives for football but he has also had to adapt to a new life in Madrid.
He lives with his mother Denise in one of the city’s most exclusive residential areas to the north of Madrid, La Moraleja, close to other players such as Vinicius Jr. His father Mark stayed in Sunderland with Jude’s younger brother Jobe (who plays for the Championship side as a forward) but has frequently travelled to the Spanish capital for matches and important events.
Despite being a star, Bellingham is still young and his parents are protective. “Remember, you don’t have to tell dad everything,” the former Manchester United and France left-back Patrice Evra joked with him at the Laureus Awards last month.
He also attended the Ballon d’Or ceremony in Paris, where he received the Kopa Trophy for best young player, and was presented with the Golden Boy award in Turin, again presented to Europe’s best young player. He has become a figure that transcends football – Adidas is planning to launch his own clothing line with the initials ‘JB’ as a symbol.
![](https://cdn.theathletic.com/app/uploads/2024/04/17030958/GettyImages-2148868643-scaled.jpg)
Bellingham spoke to media before Madrid’s match at City (Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
Bellingham also counts on half a dozen assistants who advise him behind the scenes. They include a beautician who chooses his outfits for gala evenings and a hairdresser friend from England who occasionally visits. Otherwise, Camavinga’s brother, Sebastiao, cuts his hair at his barbershop.
Bellingham has forged good relationships with Camavinga and other young members of the Madrid squad, something encouraged by the club itself and their chief scout Juni Calafat, who sometimes organises dinners for them.
He has been taking Spanish lessons — and fans were impressed when he spoke the language during Madrid’s La Liga title celebrations at the city’s town hall and at the iconic Plaza Cibeles.
But he has made few media appearances, restricted to a brief interview with Spanish TV station RTVE, a press conference before the Champions League quarter-final second leg against Manchester City and interviews with rights holders after European nights.
Who knows, maybe he will be named player of the match in Saturday’s final, and we will hear him in front of the microphones again.
Guillermo Rai
(Top photo: Getty Images. Visual design by: Sean Reilly)