Jude Bellingham

Jude Bellingham arrived at Real Madrid in the summer of 2023 with enormous expectations and exceeded every one of them. At just 20 years old, he became Madrid's primary goalscorer — an unusual role for a central midfielder — finishing his debut La Liga season with 23 goals and 13 assists, winning the title and being named one of the best players in the world. At €103 million, he is the most expensive English player in history, and Madrid have never had better value.

Before Madrid, Bellingham developed at Birmingham City and then Borussia Dortmund, becoming one of the Bundesliga's most influential midfielders while still a teenager. His combination of physical power, technical quality, intelligent runs into the box, and composure in big moments made him the finished article by 19. He was also England's standout performer at Euro 2024, scoring a last-minute bicycle kick against Slovakia that remains one of the tournament's great moments.

Did you know? Bellingham became the youngest captain in Borussia Dortmund's history at just 17 years old. He was also the youngest player to score in the UEFA Champions League knockout rounds when he netted against Manchester City in 2021. His debut La Liga season goal tally of 23 was the highest ever recorded by a midfielder in their first season at Real Madrid — surpassing even Zinedine Zidane's debut output.