By Muheeb Mashood
Soberness gripped the capital of Spain like a nightfall in Soweto as Madrid depicted a graveyard in a mournful mood, following the departure of its heroic players, Christiano Ronaldo in 2018, Sergio Ramos in 2021, and Karim Benzema in 2023.
When the future of Real Madrid became undecided, a 20-years old lad became the face of the biggest football team while the giant was engulfed with hope of legacy to succeed its legends.
With the destiny of Santiago Bernabeu resting on the shoulder of a young midfielder, Madridstas sang praise of honour as a compliment to the revolutionist when the young star renewed their hope, displaying a classical performance. Tomorrow is now. The present shapes the future. Jude Bellingham is the future envisioned by Los Blancos.
From Birmingham to Dortmund. A Beginning of Milestone
After a decisive move in a £25 million deal with an option of add-ons from Birmingham (England) to Borussia Dortmund in Germany in 2020, the English midfielder became a first-team player for his side after he was announced as the most expensive 17-years old player.
It took the young star a few times before he became the German side playmaker, bagging several merits, and attracted attention from different big teams across Europe.
In the 2020/2021 season, Bellingham won his first title with Dortmund after a 4-1 victory over RB Leipzig in the DFB-Pokal Cup final where he scored one goal.
In 2021, the topnotch player finished as a first runner-up for the Kopa-award, an individual trophy awarded to professional footballers under the age of 21-years, and voted by the previous Ballon d’Or winners. He came behind the Spanish winner Pedri of Barcelona.
Bellingham led the Prussians pushed close to winning the German Bundesliga league in 2023. But the German giant Bayern Munich overtook Edin Terzic’s side with two points when Dortmund bottled out their last match to Mainz 05 after a 2-2 draw. The English superstar left the pitch in tears after he missed the game-of-two-halves due to knee injury, leaving The BVB in soberness as they ended the season with tragedy.
Magnificent Start in Madrid
On 14 June 2023, Real Madrid announced the signing of the English young Midfielder Jude Bellingham for a six-years contract after the payment of €103 million as a base transfer fee to Dortmund. This fee could potentially increase to approximately €133.9 million due to add-ons, which can amount to 30% of the fixed transfer amount.
It’s another massive cashout for the German side, becoming the most expensive player for the club, after the exit of their hitman Erling Haaland to Manchester City in the previous season.
On 12 August 2023, Bellingham made his debut for Real Madrid where he scored a goal in a 2-0 victory during their opening game against Athletic Bilbao. He scored a brace, and provided an assist for Vinicius Junior in their second match against Almeria where they won 3-1. Bellingham handed his side a late winner in his third match in a 1-0 victory against Celta Vigo to help Los Blancos continue their perfect start, and also maintain his goalscoring form.
Bellingham won La Liga player of the month in August as the first Englishman to claim the award after ending the month with a thrilling form, scoring four goals and one assist.
The Young Star Enjoys his Honeymoon in Madrid
On 2 September 2023, Bellingham delivered another 2-1 stoppage time winner to Real Madrid in the game of both halves against Getafe, marking his first game in Santiago Bernabeu. He became the third player after Cristiano Ronaldo in 2009–10 and Pepillo in 1959–60 to score in each of his first four competitive appearances for the club. Bellingham also equaled Real’s all-time top scorer’s five-goal tally.
While speaking with Madrid TV after the match he described the moment after scoring the goal as his “loudest moment” he ever had in a stadium. That he finally got goosebumps when the fans sang “hey dude” in praise of him.
People have been waiting and expecting for Bellingham’s form to take a dip, but it shows no signs of coming as the lad continued his surf under Carlos Ancelotti when he scored another winner for Real Madrid during his European debut for his club against Union Berlin on 20 September.
He became only the fourth player to score on both his La Liga and Champions League debuts for Real Madrid, after Cristiano Ronaldo, Isco and Marco Asensio.
“The England midfielder has achieved a remarkable feat, tallying 10 goals in his first 10 starts for his new team.
“Bellingham’s goal-scoring efficiency is nothing short of extraordinary, with 10 goals scored from just 19 shots. The 20-year-old has made the transition to Spanish soccer appear astonishingly effortless.”
“In his first ten starts for Real Madrid across all competitions, Bellingham not only equalled Cristiano Ronaldo’s 10-goal record but also delivered three assists, outperforming Ronaldo’s one assist in a similar period”, this was disclosed in an article published by The Times of India.
After a few months of his arrival at Real Madrid, Bellingham had significantly impacted a borderline, and painted his name all over Madrid after a consistent display of a class act.
From the midfield, the Englishman had registered ten goals, and two assists from his ten appearances in La Liga and UEFA Champions League, delivering a winner to his side repeatedly.
It’s not a surprise that Madridstas were full of praise for the young superstar.
“Bellingham could honestly go down as one of the best signings ever, not just signing of the season. This form is absolutely incredible”, a tweet from @Louis Webb in X.
“Bellingham may be the best 100 million signing we’ve ever seen”, another tweet from @Mikhel disclosed.