How Jude Bellingham spent his Christmas break: A tour of the Championship, indoor cricket and a hero’s welcome back at Real Madrid

Madrid looked certain to drop points in their final match before the winter break. Los Blancos had tried everything to beat Alaves as Bellingham himself was thwarted time and time again. The unlikely winner came from an even less predictable source, as Lucas Vazquez — all 5'8 of him — rose to head home a 92nd-minute goal, and send his side to the top of the table.

Bellingham, for his part, dubbed it a "Christmas miracle." Not a bad way to start the break.

There is an immense amount of pressure on Jobe Bellingham. The Sunderland starlet is a talented footballer in his own right, but he will never not be compared to his Ballon d'Or-competing older sibling.

It is a good thing, then, that Jude has always been supportive of his brother — who is enjoying a breakout season in the Championship at the age of 18. And Jude continued that trend on December 23, showing up to watch his brother take on Coventry City at the Stadium of Light less than 48 hours after the final whistle of the Alaves win.

Jude, of course, cut his own teeth in the Championship, and his tour continued on Boxing Day after he spent Christmas Day with his family. Bellingham was spotted in the stands once more as Sunderland traveled to Hull City — their first away trip under new manager Michael Beale. The Black Cats came out on top, too, with a late winner erning them a 1-0 victory in what could yet prove to be a crucial three points in their promotion push.

And Jude earned favour with Sunderland fans on social media for not only donning a red and white scarf, but also for going wild when Jack Clarke's winner rippled the net.

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West's son, Saint, hasn't been short of football experience — despite his young age. Just eight-years-old, the youngster has been pictured at Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Miami games, each time repping a kit of some of the biggest names in the sport.

And Bellingham appears to be the celebrity child's newest favourite, as Kim herself posted a picture of her son wearing a No.5 Bellingham Real Madrid shirt that he presumably received as a Christmas gift.

@kimkardashian Instagram

There was, fortunately for Bellingham, some time for relaxation, too. It is not particularly easy for him to stay out of the spotlight anymore given that the 20-year-old is Madrid's best player, and the fulcrum of England's Euro 2024 hopes.

But he still found some time to rest, and that included trying his hand at other sports, as Bellingham posted a short clip on Instagram of him playing cricket, battering a six in a virtual net, while he also seemed to be trying his hand at darts as the UK continues to be gripped by the PDC World Championships.

Bellingham was back in Madrid before the end of 2023 as Madrid held their final training session of the year in front of fans, as the annual event allows thousands of supporters to crowd into the Alfredo di Stefano Stadium to watch the first team in action.

And the Englishman, predictably, received the loudest reception of them all, signing autographs and taking pictures for adoring Madridistas.

And what of the future? Bellingham could hardly have started his Madrid career in more emphatic fashion, breaking records set by a certain Cristiano Ronaldo, and doing everything to deserve the shirt number he chose in homage to Zinedine Zidane.

But to round off his break, Bellingham suggested that he is expecting more. "Each day I come in, I want to work hard to try to be the best I can possibly be. The goal when you come to Real Madrid is to win every single trophy — multiple times," he said in a clip from the Universo Real Madrid documentary.