Jude Bellingham

In 2023, he won both major awards for male footballers aged under 21: the Golden Boy, for nominees playing in Europe over the last calendar year, and the Kopa Trophy, for the world's best over the previous season.

Jude Bellingham

Bellingham with 2024 Laureus Breakthrough Award
Personal information
Full name	Jude Victor William Bellingham
Date of birth	(2003-06-29) 29 June 2003 (age 20)
Place of birth	Stourbridge, England
Height	6 ft 1 in (1.86 m)
Position(s)	Midfielder
Team information
Current team	Real Madrid
Number	5
Youth career
	Stourbridge
2010–2019	Birmingham City
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2019–2020	Birmingham City	41	(4)
2020–2023	Borussia Dortmund	92	(12)
2023–	Real Madrid	25	(17)
International career‡
2016–2018	England U15	8	(1)
2018–2019	England U16	11	(4)
2019	England U17	3	(2)
2020	England U21	4	(1)
2020–	England	29	(3)
Medal record Men's football Representing  England UEFA European Championship Runner-up 2020
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 21:05, 21 April 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 21:49, 26 March 2024 (UTC)

Bellingham joined Birmingham City as an under-8, became the club's youngest first-team player when he made his senior debut in August 2019, at the age of 16 years, 38 days, and played regularly during the 2019–20 season. He joined Borussia Dortmund in July 2020, and in his first appearance became their youngest goalscorer. Over three seasons with the club he made 132 appearances and won the 2020–21 DFB-Pokal; his performances in the 2022–23 season helped Dortmund finish as runners-up and earned him the Bundesliga Player of the Season award. In 2023, Bellingham signed for Real Madrid for a fee of €103 million.

Bellingham represented England at under-15, under-16, under-17 and under-21 levels. He made his first appearance for the senior team in November 2020, and represented the country at UEFA Euro 2020 and the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Jude Victor William Bellingham was born on 29 June 2003 in Stourbridge, in the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley, West Midlands, the eldest son of Denise and Mark Bellingham. His father Mark was, until 2022, a sergeant in the West Midlands Police, and a prolific goalscorer in non-League football. Bellingham's younger brother, Jobe, is also a footballer. Bellingham attended Priory School in Edgbaston, Birmingham.

Birmingham City

Bellingham joined Birmingham City as an under-8, after playing for Stourbridge. He played for their under-18 team at 14, and made his debut for their under-23 team at the age of 15, on 15 October 2018 away to Nottingham Forest's U23s. Entering the game after an hour, he scored the only goal in the 87th minute "sliding in to force the ball over the goal line after pressure by Kyle McFarlane on the keeper diverted the ball into his path." By March 2019, he had three goals from ten development squad appearances, had featured in FourFourTwo's list of the "50 most exciting teenagers in English football", and was mentioned as of interest to major European clubs. He was gradually introduced to the first-team environment while still a schoolboy: increasingly training with the seniors, he accompanied them on matchday to observe, and travelled as the "19th man" for a Championship match in March.

Bellingham took up a two-year scholarship with Birmingham City to begin in July 2019. He was part of the first-team training camp in Portugal, played and scored in pre-season friendlies, and was given squad number 22 for the 2019–20 season. On 6 August, when he started the EFL Cup first round visit to Portsmouth, Bellingham became Birmingham City's youngest first-team player. At 16 years, 38 days, he lowered the record set by Trevor Francis in 1970 by 101 days. He played for 80 minutes in the 3–0 defeat, and was the Birmingham Mail's man of the match. He made his first Football League appearance 19 days later, as a second-half substitute in a 3–0 defeat away to Swansea City, and his home debut on 31 August against Stoke City. Replacing the injured Jefferson Montero after half an hour, Bellingham scored the winner – albeit via a generous deflection – as Birmingham came back from 1–0 down to beat Stoke 2–1, and thus became their youngest goalscorer, aged 16 years and 63 days. He started the next match, away to Charlton Athletic two weeks later, and scored the only goal from Kerim Mrabti's cutback.

 

Bellingham continued as a permanent fixture in the matchday squad, sometimes as a substitute but mainly in the starting eleven. He was eased into the team on the left wing, moved into central midfield "where he could gain more confidence", and then used "in a more advanced role" once the staff were sure he could cope with the responsibility. He was EFL Young Player of the Month for November 2019. According to head coach Pep Clotet, Bellingham himself "feels more comfortable in midfield, and more comfortable when he can get closer to the opposition box."

He was linked with moves to numerous major clubs in January 2020; on deadline day, Birmingham were reported to have turned down a £20 million bid from Manchester United. Bellingham continued as a first-team regular, and by the time the season was suspended because of the COVID-19 pandemic, he had made 32 league appearances. He remained an integral part of the team once the season resumed behind closed doors, and set up a late equaliser for Lukas Jutkiewicz against Charlton Athletic that made Birmingham's league position less precarious with two matches still to play. He finished the season with four goals from 44 appearances in all competitions, 41 in the league, as Birmingham avoided relegation despite losing the last match of the season. In appreciation of what Bellingham achieved in such a short time with the first team, the club announced that they would retire his number 22 shirt, "to remember one of our own and to inspire others." At the EFL Awards, he was named both Championship Apprentice of the Year and EFL Young Player of the Season.

Borussia Dortmund

2020–2021: Transfer and record-breaking achievements

Many believed at the time that Bellingham would leave Birmingham, and it was reported that he and his father had visited several major clubs, of which Manchester United and Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund were the favourites. Impressed by Dortmund's record of including young players as regulars in the first team, as evidenced by the likes of Jadon Sancho, Bellingham reportedly settled on the club as his destination of choice. He flew to Germany for a medical, and the transfer was confirmed on 20 July 2020. Bellingham was to join after Birmingham's last match of the season. The undisclosed fee was understood by Sky Sports to be an initial £25 million – making him the most expensive 17-year-old in history – plus "several million more" dependent on performance-related criteria.

Bellingham made his debut on 14 September 2020, starting the first match of the 2020–21 season against third-tier MSV Duisburg in the DFB-Pokal, aged 17 years, 77 days. After half an hour, he scored the second goal in a 5–0 win, becoming the club's youngest goalscorer in the DFB-Pokal, taking six days off Giovanni Reyna's record, as well as their youngest scorer in any competitive match, breaking Nuri Şahin's record by five days. Five days later, he marked his league debut with the assist for Reyna's opening goal in a 3–0 win over Borussia Mönchengladbach, and was named as Bundesliga Rookie of the Month for September. When Bellingham faced Lazio in the group stage on 20 October, aged 17 years and 113 days, he became the youngest Englishman to start a UEFA Champions League match, breaking the record previously set by Phil Foden.

 

In the first three months of the season, Bellingham was a regular in all competitions, with six starts and seven substitute appearances in the Bundesliga as well as four Champions League starts. He missed the first two matches of 2021 with a foot injury, but returned to action as an increasingly regular starter. He was involved in Marco Reus' goal in the away leg of the Champions League quarter-final against Manchester City. He scored his first Champions League goal against City early in the second leg, but Dortmund could not retain their away-goal advantage. In between, Bellingham scored his first Bundesliga goal from Reyna's knock-down to equalise with VfB Stuttgart early in the second half; Dortmund won 3–2. Bellingham started for Dortmund in their 4–1 victory over RB Leipzig in the 2021 DFB-Pokal final. He was booked in the first half and replaced by Thorgan Hazard at half-time with his team 3–0 ahead. He finished the season with 29 appearances and one goal in the Bundesliga, 46 appearances and four goals in all competitions, and was voted Newcomer of the Season by his fellow players. Bellingham was runner-up to Pedri of Barcelona in the 2021 Kopa Trophy, awarded to the world's best under-21 male player as voted by previous winners of the Ballon d'Or.

2021–2023: Bundesliga Player of the Season and League runner-up

On 4 December 2021, Bellingham played in Der Klassiker against Bayern Munich. He made the assists for both Dortmund goals, but Bayern won the match 3–2 via a 77th-minute penalty awarded after lengthy VAR involvement. Earlier in the fixture, two Dortmund penalty appeals were turned down by referee Felix Zwayer, who refused to review either. Interviewed live by Viaplay immediately after the match, Bellingham was critical of Zwayer's decisions, and made reference to his part in the 2005 German football match-fixing scandal, saying: "You give a referee, that has match fixed before, the biggest game in Germany. What do you expect?" The German Football Association (DFB) wrote to Bellingham asking for his comments as a matter of urgency. He was later fined €40,000 by the DFB.

On 22 October 2022, in a match against Stuttgart, Bellingham contributed significantly with two notable goals – the first stemming from a rapid attack he both started and finished, and the fourth being a skilfully curved shot post half-time – actions that were instrumental in ensuring Borussia Dortmund's place among the league's top four. On 28 May 2023, Bayern Munich won the Bundesliga following the concession of two points by league leaders Borussia Dortmund in a 2–2 draw to Mainz 05 on the final day of the league. Bellingham, an unused substitute owing to a knee injury, was filmed pushing a camera away from his face as he left the field in tears. His performances earned him the Bundesliga Player of the Season award. Having finished as runner-up two years prior, Bellingham won the Kopa Trophy in 2023 in recognition of his performances over the 2022–23 season for Dortmund and for England in the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He became the first Englishman to receive the award, which was presented at the 2023 Ballon d'Or ceremony in October. He placed 18th in the Ballon d'Or voting.

Real Madrid

On 14 June 2023, Real Madrid announced the signing of Bellingham on a six-year contract. Borussia Dortmund would receive a base transfer fee of €103 million with potential to rise by 30% to approximately €133.9 million due to add-ons, from which a sell-on clause would earn Birmingham City around £6 million. He became the sixth Englishman to join Real Madrid in the professional era, and BBC Sport's Andy West thought the move made "perfect sense" for both club and player in context of Real's "long-standing policy of recruiting the world's best young players" and "proven willingness to give young players a chance to succeed at the highest level".

On 12 August 2023, Bellingham marked his debut with a close-range half-volleyed goal from a corner kick in a 2–0 La Liga win away to Athletic Bilbao. Two goals and an assist for Vinícius Júnior in a 3–1 victory at Almería and the winner at Celta Vigo in the two remaining August matches made him the league's top scorer and the first English recipient of the La Liga Player of the Month award. A 95th-minute winner against Getafe on 2 September in his first match at the newly renovated Santiago Bernabéu made Bellingham the third player after Cristiano Ronaldo in the 2009–10 season and Pepillo in 1959–60 to score in each of his first four competitive appearances for the club. Bellingham scored 10 goals in his first 10 matches for Madrid, equaling Cristiano Ronaldo's goal tally after his first 10 games for the club in 2009. On 28 October, Bellingham scored a brace, including a stoppage-time winner, to secure Real Madrid a 2–1 away win against their rivals Barcelona, making him the first Real Madrid player to score in their La Liga and Champions League debuts for the club and in El Clásico. His first goal which was scored from 25 metres (82 ft) was his club's 300th goal in El Clásico and in addition meant he became the first Englishman to score in that fixture since Michael Owen in 2005. Bellingham levelled several records with these goals. His coach Carlo Ancelotti commented: "He seems like a veteran, the goal to level it totally changed the game… Today he was stupendous and shocked everyone with his wonderful goal from the edge of the area." Bellingham was named La Liga Player of the Month for October.

Having received the Kopa Trophy a few weeks earlier, Bellingham was named winner of the Golden Boy for 2023, an award made to the best male under-21 footballer playing in the European top divisions over a calendar year. Bellingham dislocated his left shoulder on 5 November, and returned to action against Cádiz three weeks later only because of an injury crisis at the club. On 26 November, wearing heavy strapping, he assisted the first goal and scored the third of a 3–0 win, which took Madrid top of the table and his personal total to 14 from his first 15 games, breaking the club record jointly held by Pruden, Alfredo Di Stéfano and Cristiano Ronaldo. On 29 November, Bellingham became the first player to score in each of his first four Champions League appearances for Real Madrid in a 4–2 victory against Napoli.

On 10 February, Bellingham scored a brace in a 4–0 league win over La Liga title race rivals Girona. On 2 March, Bellingham was sent off for protest at the end of Real Madrid's 2–2 draw against Valencia at the Mestalla after his winning goal was denied because referee Jesús Gil Manzano had blown the whistle to end the game. On 21 April, Bellingham scored the winner in added time as Real Madrid won El Clásico 3–2 at home, getting his 21st goal of the season to become Madrid's all-time top English scorer, overtaking Cunningham and Beckham. The following day he won the 2024 Laureus World Sports Award for Breakthrough of the Year.

Youth career

Bellingham was eligible to play for his native England and also for the Republic of Ireland, for which he qualified via a grandparent. He made his England under-15 debut against Turkey in December 2016. In recognition of his captaining that team during the 2017–18 season, he was presented with a Special Achievement Award at the 2018 Birmingham City Academy awards night. By the end of 2018 he had made his first appearance for the England under-16 team, and went on to feature in eleven games, score four goals, and captain the team. He was included in England's under-17 squad for the Syrenka Cup, a friendly tournament held in September 2019 in preparation for the 2020 European Championship qualifiers the following March. He made his debut as a substitute in England's opening match of the tournament, a 5–0 win over Finland in which he scored the third goal, and captained the team in their second fixture, in which they came back from a goal behind to beat Austria 4–2 and qualify for the final. Again, Bellingham scored the third goal. He retained the captaincy for the final, in which England beat hosts Poland on penalties following a 2–2 draw, and was named player of the tournament.

Bellingham received his first call-up to the under-21 squad for European Championship qualifiers against Kosovo and Austria in September 2020. He became the youngest player to appear for England U21 when he came on to replace Tom Davies after 62 minutes of the match against Kosovo on 4 September with England 3–0 ahead, and scored after 85 minutes to complete the 6–0 victory.

Senior career

 

In November 2020, after James Ward-Prowse and Trent Alexander-Arnold withdrew through injury, Bellingham was called up to the England senior squad for the first time. He made his debut in a friendly against the Republic of Ireland at Wembley on 12 November, replacing Mason Mount after 73 minutes of a 3–0 win. At 17 years, 136 days, he became England's third-youngest full international; only Theo Walcott and Wayne Rooney had appeared at a younger age. Bellingham was named in the England squad for the UEFA Euro 2020 tournament, which was delayed until June 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. When he came on as an 82nd-minute substitute in England's opening match, a 1–0 win over Croatia at Wembley on 13 June, aged 17 years and 349 days, he became both the youngest Englishman to play at any major tournament and the youngest of any nationality to play at a European Championship; the latter record was broken by Poland's Kacper Kozłowski just six days later.

Bellingham's first senior international goal, a header from Luke Shaw's cross to open the scoring in England's 6–2 win over Iran in their first game of the 2022 World Cup on 21 November 2022, made him the second youngest scorer for England at a World Cup. He also made the run and pass to Harry Kane who crossed for Raheem Sterling to score England's third goal, and played the through ball from which Callum Wilson set up their sixth for Jack Grealish. He then followed this up during the last 16 game against Senegal with a run through Senegal's defence, assisting Jordan Henderson's goal in the 38th minute. He then played a key role in Harry Kane's goal in the third minute of stoppage time in the first half, setting up Phil Foden to make the assist.

Known for his exceptional control of the ball, his physicality and his technical quality, Bellingham is often regarded as one of the best and most well-rounded midfielders in the world. He is also known for his versatility and vision. He is praised for fulfilling multiple positions and his dynamic play style, playing both exceptional defense and offense, described by The Analyst as a "do-it-all midfielder". His excellent runs and dribbling abilities has also earned him praise, as he has a keen ability to quickly transition from defense to offense. An analysis by Bundesliga described Bellingham as "the complete package: a dynamic midfielder who can win the ball and drive it forward, hold up possession, resist the press, find gaps in opposition defences, plus assist and score goals". Bellingham has been described by Philipp Lahm as a "complete midfielder", who can "dribble, pass, shoot and has the urge to score", and who is "physical and fearless, holds his ground in challenges and wins the ball". Phil Foden described Bellingham as "one of the most gifted players I've ever seen". Paul Scholes also praised Bellingham in 2023, saying that "I think Jude Bellingham for his age and what he’s accomplished so far in his short career, he’s better than anything we’ve seen". He has been compared to Zinedine Zidane.

Following his move to Madrid in 2023, Bellingham took on a more advanced role in the midfield, often being positioned in the number 10 position as an attacking midfielder, or even as a false 9 or second striker on occasion. This change in position led to Bellingham adopting a more signficant role in the final third and goalscoring, with him scoring 10 goals in his first 10 matches for Madrid.

His prodigious talent as a young player has been confirmed by the awards he has won, including the IFFHS World's Best Youth (U20) Player in 2022 and 2023, and the Golden Boy award and Kopa Trophy in 2023. ESPN rated Bellingham as the number one central midfielder for 2022–23, with 90min rating Bellingham as the top central midfielder in 2022.

Bellingham is known for his arms-stretched, head-high and chest-out goal celebration.

Club

As of match played 21 April 2024