Real Madrid fans go crazy when Jude Bellingham celebrates a goal by spreading his arms out like Christ the Redeemer.
Soon after, his song is playing from the high ceilings of the Santiago Bernabeu, a stadium for sports.
About 80,000 people sing in a high voice “Hey Jude,” The Beatles’ 1968 hit.
Dentist Nitya Nandi, 30, holds up a scarf that says “Hey Jude — from Birmingham to the Bernabeu” and tells me, “I love Bellingham.” “Bellingham is loved by Madrid.”
Jack Smith, 22, and Christian McGarr, 24, from Darlington, Co. Durham, England, came from there to honor the world’s newest football hero.
A toolmaker from Newcastle said, “We came over for Bellingham, the best English player since Gazza.”
Madrid has had its fair share of football gods, and now Bellimania has taken over.
This English defender has become the star player at the world’s biggest club in just five months.
Jude won two awards at an event in Turin, Italy, on Monday for Europe’s best young player. Sports reporters named him “Golden Boy,” and online fans chose him as their favorite player.
Jude smiled at a group of kids in the crowd as he picked up his prizes, copying the way he always celebrates a goal.
After scoring a lot of goals with what is called “Belligols” here, the 20-year-old broke all the records.
The “bunker” is home.
After 14 goals in his first 15 games, he broke the club record on November 26.
It’s one more than the great Alfredo Di Stefano (who played for Real Madrid in the 1950s and 1960s) and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Jude became the first Real Madrid player to score in all four of his Champions League games last week with a great header against Napoli.
The son of a police officer from Stourbridge, West Midlands, is being treated like a rock star in Madrid because he is so good-looking and has a Hollywood charm.
I got a real taste of Bellimania last week when I watched him train and then talked to the crazy fans of the world’s richest club.
Fans of Real Madrid may call Jude a “Galactico,” which means “superstar player,” but when he’s not on the field, his 55-year-old mother Denise keeps a close eye on him. She lives in the city with her oldest son.
Sources inside the club say she “helps him, gives him advice, and takes him to training.” She has also helped him get dressed and make his bed on occasion.
A video showed Denise helping her son with his bow tie as he got ready for the Ballon d’Or awards ceremony in October, which honors the best players in the world.
In a West Midlands accent, Jude said, “Everyone says, ‘Oh, he’s so grown up,’ but I can’t even change on my own.” “My life is a lie!”
Britain’s Conor Coady said that Jude had been scolded after saying that Denise still made his bed at the World Cup in Qatar last year.
Jude left his first team, Birmingham City, for Borussia Dortmund in Germany in 2020, and then moved to Spain for £88 million this year. He said, “My mom is the queen, the boss.”
His 47-year-old dad Mark used to be a police officer and play football in the minor leagues. He is now Jude and Jobe’s agent.
Jude lived in a fancy hotel when he signed with Real Madrid.
He is said to have moved with Denise to the private gated estate La Finca, which is home to famous football players, actresses, TV stars, and millionaire businessmen.
It’s easy to see why many people call La Finca a “bunker” after visiting it last week. It’s only a 15-minute drive from the city center.
It is built among fir trees and has homes that are worth up to £9 million. It is very safe.
Chef Alberto Mastromatteo has been hired by Jude to take care of him.
Reports from the area say that he mostly eats fish, natural yogurts, low-fat fresh cheese, veggies, fruit, lean meats, and grains like rice, quinoa, and oats.
He also said, “He loves chips.” Jude is free from the rules for a day and a half. They are 20-year-old boys at the end of the day.
Jude is also learning the language, and I saw him train at the club’s base on the edge of the city.
The young player looks much older than he is because he is so sure of himself in a group of experienced internationals.
Fabio Cannavaro, a former Real Madrid center back, said this about Jude: “That guy walked into the locker room and banged on the table, ‘Here I am, I’m in charge here.’” I’m impressed by him.
I could then ask boss Carlo Ancelotti how well the English player was adjusting to life in Spain.
The manager of Chelsea and Everton in the past told me, “Bellingham is serious, professional, and mature, so he can adapt.”
He’s a great player, and great players can fit in anywhere. That’s the most important thing.
Fans from China, the US, and Australia gathered to see his teammate, whom they call “Belli,” leave practice.
People scream with joy as they see his black £156k BMW SUV slowly making its way through the crowd.
“Bellingham, please sign my shirt,” little Ella Vidales asked Bellingham as she held up a sign she had made herself.
Her prayers were heard. Denise, Jude’s mom, was driving, so she carefully pushed the hybrid to the curb.
As soon as her famous son sat down in the back seat, he was surrounded by fans who wanted to sign shirts and take selfies with him.
Ella from Ibiza, who is nine years old, got both and said, “This is my dream.” Jude is great.
Lucas, her 37-year-old dad, said, “Bellingham carries the team on his back, but he’s so humble and close to the people.”
From Huelva in the south of Spain, Jose Maria Luque, 69, brought his seven-year-old grandson Pablo Marcias to see the star. Pablo is crazy about Bellingham.
Jose said, “He used to love Ronaldo a lot, but now he loves Bellingham more.”
Teo Georgiev, who is ten years old, screamed with joy when Bellingham signed his shirt.
“Bellingham was the only player who stopped to sign autographs for the kids,” said his 38-year-old mother Gigi from Barcelona.
“What a gentleman.”
Jude put his name on every shirt and smiled for every video.
In his time at Dortmund, he said, “I’ll sign anything.” I’ll draw all of the kids who want one if that many of them ask.
“You have thirty minutes to make someone’s day. What does that really mean? “What else am I going to do?”
Jude doesn’t seem to have been tempted by Madrid’s party scene while Denise is keeping an eye on her.
