English footballer who became the youngest player to represent Birmingham City's first team and won the Champions League with Real Madrid at age 20.
Jude Bellingham scored 23 La Liga goals from midfield in his debut Real Madrid season and won the Champions League at 20 — the most complete young midfielder European football had produced in years — having already been the subject of the largest bidding war in transfer history during his three seasons at Borussia Dortmund. Birmingham City gave him his professional debut at 16 — the youngest player in club history. Borussia Dortmund paid £25 million for him in 2020. His three Dortmund seasons produced two consecutive Bundesliga titles and consistent individual excellence that generated the largest bidding war in transfer history. Real Madrid paid £113 million for him in 2023 — the most expensive signing in Spanish football history. His debut Real Madrid season produced 23 La Liga goals from midfield and the Champions League title. He won the Kopa Trophy as best under-21 player in 2023. He became England's most important player and reached the Euro 2024 Final — England's second consecutive final — scoring the last-minute equaliser against Slovakia in the round of 16 that kept England in the tournament. His combination of physical presence, technical quality, leadership on the pitch at 20 years old and scoring from midfield positions has been compared to Steven Gerrard but with greater football intelligence and aerial ability.
Becoming Birmingham City's youngest ever first-team player at 16
How They Played
Box-to-box midfielder with exceptional technical ability, vision and leadership qualities beyond his years
Lasting Impact
At just 20 years old, Bellingham has already established himself as one of the most promising midfielders of his generation and a future leader for both club and country.
Career Honours
- UEFA Champions League 2024 (Real Madrid)
- La Liga 2024
- Bundesliga 2x (Borussia Dortmund)
- UEFA Euro 2024 runner-up (England)
- Kopa Trophy 2023
- La Liga Player of the Month — record 4 consecutive months (2023-24)
| Club | Period | Fee | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham City | 2019–2020 | — | 41 | 4 |
| Borussia Dortmund | 2020–2023 | £25m | 92 | 12 |
| Real Madrid | 2023–Present | £113m | 87 | 34 |
| — | — | 57 | 14 |