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Today, the picture has changed completely. Bellingham is no longer that player surrounded by question marks. He has become one of the most important keys to the game for Real Madrid and England, after regaining his scoring touch and his influence on the pitch, delivering performances that have brought back memories of his very best version. Six goals and eight assists between club and country sum up only one part of this transformation, which did not stop at the numbers but extended to his technical role and his standing within both teams.
Recall now that Bellingham's England future was the subject of heated debate just a few months ago, and it seems strange. In the period before one of the national team's matches at Wembley, controversy raged over his right to start under Thomas Tuchel, amid an atmosphere not without tension. The England star's reception featured warm applause mixed with scattered jeers.
That incident was no passing moment. It reflected the scale of the shift in the player's image among a section of the English public and media. A difficult season with Real Madrid had sent Bellingham's stock tumbling, while England produced good results in his absence during the World Cup qualifiers.
Thomas Tuchel's arrival at the helm fuelled speculation about the nature of his relationship with the Real Madrid star. Signs of differences of opinion between the two parties emerged, and the matter gradually turned into a question of public opinion, going beyond technical choices to questions about how much influence the player really held within the group.
The criticism reached its peak when the British newspaper the Daily Mail published a controversial headline in November 2025: "Leave Jude at home", in reference to the need to exclude him from England's World Cup squad, according to the Spanish newspaper "AS".
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The newspaper went even further, arguing that Bellingham's behaviour and mood swings could threaten the national team's ambitions in the tournament, despite acknowledging his great talent. It also pointed out that Tuchel places collective harmony at the top of his priorities, which made the player's presence a matter of debate.
What happened next was nothing like those expectations.
Bellingham responds in the best way
Rather than succumbing to the pressure or entering into verbal battles with his critics, Bellingham chose to respond on the pitch. He regained his self-confidence and gradually restored his influence at Real Madrid, before carrying the same level into the England setup.
Plenty rose to his defence. A number of English analysts rejected the idea of belittling his value, arguing that the criticism had gone beyond technical assessment into an attempt to cast doubt on his character.
Ian Wright was one of the most prominent voices to back him, saying that some people cannot accept the fact that they are unable to negatively affect the player's career, in the way that happened with other stars before him.
With the goals and decisive contributions flowing again, the tone of the conversation about Bellingham changed. After five months without a call-up between June and November 2025, due to injuries and technical considerations, he returned to become one of the most prominent elements on which England rely.
Talk of the national team no longer revolves solely around Harry Kane as the number one star. Bellingham has become an essential partner in leading the attacking ambitions.
The 2026 World Cup was the most prominent milestone in this transformation. The Real Madrid player arrived in the United States, Mexico and Canada in outstanding technical and physical condition, delivering performances that made him one of the tournament's biggest stars and coming close to leading the Three Lions to glory, even though his participation had been anything but guaranteed just a few months earlier.
Recognition of the Real Madrid star's value
Recognition of Bellingham's comeback did not stop at media praise. It extended to individual awards. Before the match against Spain at Wembley last September, the English Football Association announced that he had won the best player in England award for the 2025-2026 season, for the second time in a row.
The honour confirmed the scale of the impact the player had regained the ability to deliver, after transforming from a name surrounded by question marks into one of the main pillars of the national team's project.
Bellingham also made the last international break count, delivering a striking performance and scoring a historic goal that earned the praise of Roy Keane, known for his strictness in evaluating players.
The former Manchester United legend told the "ITV" network: "He can become one of the greatest players of all time."
Here was fresh testimony that the number 10 had overcome one of his most difficult periods, and that the criticism following him had not prevented him from regaining his standing.
From England to Madrid, and vice versa
The transformation was not confined to the England national team. The same picture appeared at Real Madrid, after Bellingham regained his influential role following a season of declining technical stability, the result of repeated changes in his position and responsibilities on the pitch.
In the past, the player would move between more than one space, sometimes drifting away from the areas that let him exploit his attacking abilities to the full. Now he is more present in the final third, while keeping his ability to contribute to the build-up, the press and winning back the ball.
His danger lies in combining physical strength, tactical intelligence and the ability to make late arrivals into the penalty area. He does not need to stay near the goal all the time to pose a threat. He is skilled at choosing the right moment to burst forward from behind and catch defenders off guard. He has also regained his accuracy in front of goal, become more agile in dribbling, and shown a clear ability to create chances for his teammates.
The numbers reveal the scale of the development in his level. After finishing the 2025-2026 season with eight goals and six assists, he now has five goals and four assists in the current campaign, according to the statistics contained in the report.
His goal-contribution rate rose from a goal every 209 minutes to a goal every 145 minutes, gradually approaching the exceptional figures he achieved during his first season with Real Madrid, when he scored 23 goals and created 13 others, with a goal-contribution rate of one every 101 minutes.
Mourinho rediscovers Bellingham
Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho played an important role in repurposing Bellingham, taking the view that the best of what the player possesses must be shown close to the opponents' goal.
Xabi Alonso had previously praised the variety of his abilities, insisting he is a complete player who can fill different positions. Alvaro Arbeloa took a similar approach, making use of his tactical flexibility and his ability to move in more than one space, including the left flank.
Mourinho, though, chose to return him to a role closer to the goal, trying to restore the picture he had shown during his first season with the team, even if the current circumstances are different given the presence of Kylian Mbappe within the attacking system.
The Portuguese coach said at the start of the season: "A player of this quality must be close to the goal. For me, this is obvious."
He also described him as a unique and extremely important player, pointing to his exceptional set of physical, mental and tactical abilities, alongside skills in winning back the ball, scoring and excelling in aerial duels.
Here lies the core idea in Bellingham's transformation. It is not just about returning him to his former position, but about giving him more space to exploit his attacking talents, without abandoning his defensive duties.
He has become Real Madrid's playmaker, or the attacking midfielder in the traditional sense, but he performs this role with abilities that go beyond the limits of his position.
Numbers confirm he is present everywhere
Bellingham's statistics reflect the scale of his multiple influence within Real Madrid. He ranks third among the team's players in total goal contributions, with 11 contributions including goals and assists.
He also tops the list of the most successful players in duels, with 120 won, ahead of Diomande, who recorded 96.
Second in creating chances, he has 27 to his name, behind Arda Guler, who leads with 47. He also tops the team for headed shots on target, with five attempts.
His influence does not stop at the attacking aspects. He ranks second in winning back the ball inside the final attacking third, with 10 recoveries, behind Vinicius Junior, who has 11.
As for total ball recoveries, he has reached 69, surpassed only by Thibaut Courtois, with 100.
Bellingham is now present in every detail of the game, from creating chances and scoring to duels, pressing and winning back the ball. A year ago his name was a subject of controversy and doubt. Today he is one of the elements that Real Madrid and England find hard to do without.
This is a transformation that goes beyond merely regaining form. It confirms that Jude Bellingham never lost his shine. He simply needed the right circumstances and the role that lets him show his full abilities.
