When Real Madrid signed Jude Bellingham for 100 million euros from Borussia Dortmund in a deal that was already in the making for years, they knew they were landing a special player who would eventually be looked upon as a bargain Galatico and a Champions League winner like forwards Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale were a decade prior.
Real Madrid had not had an English superstar in their ranks since David Beckham, and it honestly took Jude just one season to surpass the legacy of the former Manchester United man. Jude won the Champions League and La Liga in his first season, nearly winning the Pichichi from midfield while establishing himself as a top five Ballon d'Or candidate in the process.
Yet despite being a hero at the 2024 European Championship and a proven winner for Real Madrid, Jude was getting a lot of criticism, and even before his insane 2026 World Cup that had the whole world singing his praises, Jude was criminally underrated.
Jude Bellingham has been at the top for years
And honestly, even after his great World Cup, it still feels like Jude isn't getting his full due, because he is clearly the best midfielder in the world and in the argument with the likes of Lamine Yamal, Harry Kane, Vinicius Junior, Erling Haaland, Michael Olise, and Kylian Mbappe as the absolute best player in the world.
Former Real Madrid and Manchester United star striker Javier Hernandez, aka Chicharito, is in full agreement with that, and he told Rio Ferdinand on his podcast that he considers Jude Bellingham an "underrated" player and that he has been one of the best midfielders on the planet for a few years, even before he joined Real Madrid.
Chicharito said, via the Madrid Zone, “Underrated player? Jude Bellingham. In the past 3-4 years, he’s been one of the BEST midfielders in the world and NO ONE can deny that. He’s just.. WOW. And his work rate, too. He plays like a 10 but defends like a 5. Now he has Mourinho as well, and Mou LOVES players like that.”
Now that is something Real Madrid fans can get 100 percent behind, and they agree with their former striker, who spent just one year at the Santiago Bernabeu on loan but has more Madridismo than some of the other former players turned pundits. Bellingham has been world class for years, and he is the best in his role. Anyone saying otherwise has not been paying attention for almost five years.
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