Jude Bellingham facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Jude Bellingham

Bellingham in 2024
Personal information
Full name	Jude Victor William Bellingham
Date of birth	(2003-06-29) 29 June 2003 (age 22)
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
2009–2010	Stourbridge Juniors
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	59	(28)
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	43	(6)
Medal record Men's football Representing  England UEFA European Championship Runner-up 2020 Europe Runner-up 2024 Germany
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 18:55, 18 May 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 18:19, 7 June 2025 (UTC)

Jude Victor William Bellingham (born 29 June 2003) is an English professional footballer. He plays as a midfielder for the Spanish club Real Madrid and the England national team. Many people think he is one of the best players in the world.

Bellingham started playing for Birmingham City when he was just 8 years old. He became the club's youngest ever first-team player in August 2019. He played regularly for them during the 2019–20 season.

In July 2020, he moved to Borussia Dortmund in Germany. He quickly became their youngest goalscorer. Over three seasons, he played 132 games and helped them win the 2020–21 DFB-Pokal cup. His great playing in the 2022–23 season helped Dortmund finish second in the league. He was even named the Bundesliga Player of the Season. Later that year, he won two big awards for young players: the Golden Boy and the Kopa Trophy. These awards recognize the best young footballers in Europe and the world.

In 2023, Bellingham signed with Real Madrid for a lot of money. In his first season, he scored the most goals for the club in the league. He helped them win the league title and the Champions League. He was also named the La Liga Player of the Season. He was chosen for the FIFPRO World 11 team in both 2023 and 2024. In 2024, he finished third in the important Ballon d'Or and FIFA The Best awards.

Bellingham has played for England at different youth levels. He made his first appearance for the senior England team in November 2020. He has played for England in major tournaments like UEFA Euro 2020, the 2022 FIFA World Cup, and UEFA Euro 2024.

Jude Bellingham's Early Life and Family

Jude Victor William Bellingham was born on June 29, 2003, in Stourbridge, England. His parents are Denise and Mark Bellingham. His father, Mark, was a very good goalscorer in non-league football. Jude's younger brother, Jobe, is also a professional footballer.

Jude went to Priory School in Edgbaston, Birmingham. Growing up, he looked up to the famous French footballer Zinedine Zidane. In 2021, Jude finished his studies at Loughborough College.

Jude Bellingham's Club Football Journey

Starting Out at Birmingham City

Jude Bellingham joined Birmingham City when he was 8 years old. Before that, he played for Stourbridge Juniors. He was so talented that he played for Birmingham's under-18 team at age 14. At 15, he played for their under-23 team and even scored a goal.

By March 2019, he was already getting attention from big European clubs. He started training more with the senior team. He even traveled with them to matches to learn how things worked.

In July 2019, Bellingham officially joined Birmingham City's senior team. On August 6, he made his first-team debut in a cup match against Portsmouth. He was 16 years and 38 days old, making him the youngest player ever for Birmingham City. He broke a record that had stood since 1970!

Just 25 days later, on August 31, he scored his first goal for the club against Stoke City. This made him Birmingham City's youngest ever goalscorer. He quickly became a regular player for the team.

Bellingham with Birmingham City in 2019

Bellingham played in midfield and showed great skill. In January 2020, big clubs like Manchester United wanted to sign him. Birmingham City reportedly turned down a £20 million offer. He continued to play well, making 41 league appearances that season.

To show how much they appreciated him, Birmingham City decided to retire his number 22 shirt. This means no other player at the club will wear that number. It was a special way to remember his impact in such a short time. He also won the EFL Young Player of the Season award.

Moving to Borussia Dortmund

It was clear that Bellingham would leave Birmingham for a bigger club. He chose Borussia Dortmund in Germany. He was impressed by how Dortmund helped young players become stars, like Jadon Sancho.

He officially joined Dortmund on July 20, 2020. The transfer fee was about £25 million, making him the most expensive 17-year-old player in history.

Breaking Records at Dortmund (2020–2021)

Bellingham played his first game for Dortmund on September 14, 2020. He was 17 years and 77 days old. He scored a goal in a 5–0 win, becoming Dortmund's youngest ever goalscorer in a competitive match.

Five days later, he made his league debut and set up a goal for a teammate. He was named the Bundesliga Rookie of the Month for September. In October, he became the youngest Englishman to start a UEFA Champions League match.

Bellingham playing for Borussia Dortmund in 2020

Bellingham played regularly in his first season. He scored his first Bundesliga goal in April 2021. He also scored his first Champions League goal against Manchester City. He helped Dortmund win the 2021 DFB-Pokal final cup. He played 46 games in all competitions that season. His fellow players voted him the Newcomer of the Season. He also finished second for the 2021 Kopa Trophy, an award for the world's best young male player.

Becoming a Star (2021–2023)

In December 2021, Bellingham played in a big game against Bayern Munich. He set up two goals, but Dortmund lost 3–2. After the game, he was fined €40,000 for criticizing the referee.

On October 22, 2022, Bellingham scored two goals in a 5–0 win. His first goal was amazing, as he started and finished the attack himself. His second was a skillful curved shot.

On the last day of the Bundesliga season, Dortmund needed to win to become champions. Bellingham was injured and could not play. Dortmund drew their game, and Bayern Munich won their match, so Bayern won the league title by a small difference in goals. Bellingham was very sad after the match.

Despite this, his excellent performances earned him the Bundesliga Player of the Season award. In 2023, he won the Kopa Trophy for his great playing for Dortmund and England. He was the first Englishman to win this award.

Joining Real Madrid

On June 14, 2023, Real Madrid announced they had signed Bellingham. The transfer fee was about €103 million, which could go up to €133.9 million with bonuses. This made him one of the most expensive young players ever. He became the sixth Englishman to play for Real Madrid.

Amazing First Season (2023–24)

Bellingham had an incredible start at Real Madrid. On August 12, 2023, he scored a goal in his very first game, a 2–0 win. He scored two more goals and set up another in his next game. He quickly became the league's top scorer. He was also the first English player to win the La Liga Player of the Month award.

On September 2, he scored a winning goal in the 95th minute in his first game at Real Madrid's home stadium, the Santiago Bernabéu. This meant he had scored in each of his first four games for the club, a feat only two other players had achieved before. He scored 10 goals in his first 10 games, matching Cristiano Ronaldo's record.

On October 28, Bellingham scored two goals, including a winning goal in extra time, against Real Madrid's big rivals, Barcelona. This was his first "El Clásico" match. His first goal was from far away and was Real Madrid's 300th goal in El Clásico. He was the first Englishman to score in this famous match since 2005. His coach, Carlo Ancelotti, praised him, saying he played like a "veteran." He won La Liga Player of the Month again for October.

In November, Bellingham won the Golden Boy award for 2023. This award goes to the best male under-21 footballer in Europe. He dislocated his shoulder on November 5 but returned to play three weeks later. He continued to score, breaking the club record for most goals in his first 15 games. On November 29, he became the first player to score in each of his first four Champions League games for Real Madrid.

On February 10, 2024, Bellingham scored twice in a big 4–0 win. On March 2, he was sent off for protesting a referee's decision after what would have been his winning goal was disallowed. He scored another winning goal in El Clásico on April 21, making him Real Madrid's all-time top English scorer. The next day, he won the Laureus World Sports Award for Breakthrough of the Year.

He finished his first season as Real Madrid's top league scorer with 19 goals. They won the La Liga title, and he was named the La Liga Player of the Season. He also helped Real Madrid win the Champions League final against his old club, Borussia Dortmund. He was named the UEFA Champions League Young Player of the Season. He finished third in the Ballon d'Or and The Best FIFA Men's Player awards.

Second Season and More Trophies (2024–25)

Bellingham started his second season in Spain on August 14, 2024. He set up a goal for Kylian Mbappé as Real Madrid won the European Super Cup. This was a record-breaking sixth Super Cup win for the club.

He scored his first goal of the 2024–25 season on November 9 in a 4–0 win. He then scored in six straight La Liga matches, a feat not achieved by a Real Madrid player since 2016. He was named La Liga Player of the Month for December. In February 2025, he received a two-match ban for protesting a referee's decision.

Jude Bellingham's International Career

Playing for England's Youth Teams

Bellingham could play for England or the Republic of Ireland. He chose England. He played for the England under-15 team in 2016. He even captained that team.

By the end of 2018, he was playing for the England under-16 team. He played 11 games, scored four goals, and was captain. In September 2019, he joined the England under-17 squad. He scored in his first game and captained the team to win the Syrenka Cup tournament. He was named the player of the tournament.

In September 2020, Bellingham was called up to the under-21 squad. He became the youngest player to play for England U21s. He scored a goal in his debut game, a 6–0 victory.

Playing for the Senior England Team

Bellingham playing for England at the 2022 FIFA World Cup

In November 2020, Bellingham was called up to the England senior squad for the first time. He made his debut on November 12, 2020, in a friendly match. He was 17 years and 136 days old, making him England's third-youngest full international player.

He was part of the England squad for the UEFA Euro 2020 tournament, which happened in June 2021. When he played in England's first match, he became the youngest Englishman to play in any major tournament. He was also the youngest player of any country to play in a UEFA European Championship.

Bellingham scored his first senior international goal on November 21, 2022, in England's first game of the 2022 FIFA World Cup against Iran. He scored with a header, making him the second youngest scorer for England at a World Cup. He also helped set up other goals in that game. In the next round, he helped set up two more goals for England.

UEFA Euro 2024

Bellingham was chosen for England's squad for UEFA Euro 2024. He scored a powerful header in England's first game against Serbia, which they won 1–0. He was named player of the match.

In the round of 16, he scored a goal in the 95th minute against Slovakia to tie the game. England went on to win 2–1 in extra time, and Bellingham was again named player of the match. After scoring, he made a gesture towards the opposing bench. UEFA later fined him €30,000 for this.

Bellingham played all 120 minutes of the quarter-final against Switzerland. He scored in the penalty shootout, which England won. England reached the final but lost to Spain 2–1. Bellingham helped set up England's equalizing goal in the final.

Jude Bellingham's Playing Style

Jude Bellingham is known for his amazing ball control, strength, and technical skills. Many people see him as one of the best and most complete midfielders in the world. He can play in many different positions and has great vision on the field.

He is praised for being a "do-it-all midfielder" because he is good at both defending and attacking. He makes excellent runs, dribbles well, and can quickly change from defence to attack. Experts describe him as a "complete package" who can win the ball, move it forward, keep possession, and score goals.

After moving to Real Madrid in 2023, Bellingham started playing in a more advanced role. He often played as an attacking midfielder or even as a second striker. This change helped him score many goals, including 10 in his first 10 games for Madrid.

His talent as a young player has been recognized with many awards. These include the IFFHS World's Best Youth (U20) Player in 2022 and 2023, and the Golden Boy award and Kopa Trophy in 2023.

Jude Bellingham Outside Football

Bellingham during the EA Sports FC 25 launch event in September 2024

In May 2024, Bellingham signed a big deal with the sports drink company Lucozade. In June 2024, he appeared in a campaign for Kim Kardashian's clothing brand, Skims.

In July 2024, Bellingham was announced as the cover star for the video game EA Sports FC 25. In the same month, Adidas launched his first special collection of clothes with his own "JB" logo. In August 2024, the luxury brand Louis Vuitton named him a "Friend of the House." In September 2024, Bellingham started his official YouTube channel. He released a documentary about his first year in Spain. In December 2024, he was in an Adidas documentary film.

Jude Bellingham's Awards and Achievements

Bellingham with the 2024 Laureus World Sports Award for Breakthrough of the Year

Team Awards

• Borussia Dortmund
  • DFB-Pokal: 2020–21

• Real Madrid
  • La Liga: 2023–24
  • Supercopa de España: 2024
  • UEFA Champions League: 2023–24
  • UEFA Super Cup: 2024
  • FIFA Intercontinental Cup: 2024

• England U17
  • Syrenka Cup: 2019

• England
  • UEFA European Championship runner-up: 2020, 2024

Individual Awards

• Syrenka Cup Player of the Tournament: 2019
• EFL Young Player of the Season: 2019–20
• Championship Apprentice of the Year: 2019–20
• Bundesliga Rookie of the Month: September 2020
• Bundesliga Player of the Season: 2022–23
• Kopa Trophy: 2023 (runner-up in 2021)
• Golden Boy: 2023
• IFFHS Men's World's Best Youth Player: 2022, 2023
• IFFHS Men's World Team: 2023, 2024
• FIFA FIFPRO Men's World 11: 2023, 2024
• La Liga Player of the Month: August 2023, October 2023, December 2024
• La Liga Player of the Season: 2023–24
• Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year: 2024
• UEFA Champions League Young Player of the Season: 2023–24

See also

In Spanish: Jude Bellingham para niños