Four games, five goals, and some crucial points won to leave Real Madrid topping La Liga with a perfect record. Yet, Jude Bellingham’s value to Real reaches further than statistics as his dreamy start looks set to become the norm.
The number five, currently on international duty with England, has exceeded the most optimistic forecasts since arriving in Spain—his winning goals against Celta Vigo and Getafe, the latter at the refurbished Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, headlining Los Blancos’ early season impressions. Even for an all-rounder like Bellingham, morphing into a matchwinner from midfield was an unlikely outcome so soon after joining a team with such lofty standards.
Bellingham’s impressive form comes after a successful spell at Borussia Dortmund in Germany. And it cements his place on the Ballon d’Or’s 30-player shortlist this year, with the awards ceremony for the world’s best player on October 30. It’s a long shot to say the 20-year-old will collect the prize for 2023. That may not be quite so fanciful over the coming campaigns.
Of course, Bellingham lifting the trophy will boil down to soccer reasons. It’s also too early to judge his career in Spain, which is still taking shape. All the while, the Bellingham-Real Madrid combination feels right less than three months in. His persona and profile ideally match the club, which invested an initial €103 million ($110 million) to recruit him.
Real Madrid is a Spanish institution, an outstanding national emblem in a country home to elite clubs from various autonomous regions. Real’s links with the establishment are historical, and it remains the default club for many Spaniards today—for which the side’s usual success plays a part, too.
Men’s tennis number one Carlos Alcaraz, from Murcia but a Real fanatic, imitated Bellingham’s new open-armed goal celebration after progressing to the U.S. Open semifinal stage in New York on Thursday. It encapsulated the player’s impact. Within 12 weeks, he’s forging an image, an aesthetic. It’s already creating a ripple effect and something sponsors could look to pounce on.
LISTEN TO FOOTBALL PODCAST
