Jude Bellingham set ‘elite’ challenge that Lionel Messi & Cristiano Ronaldo mastered by former Real Madrid boss after sensational start to life at Santiago Bernabeu

The England international has been a revelation at Real Madrid on the back of his €103 million (£89m/$113m) transfer from Borussia Dortmund. Bellingham has registered 17 goals through 20 appearances for Los Blancos – allowing him to match the efforts of all-time great Ronaldo.

Bellingham has landed the prestigious Kopa Trophy and Golden Boy awards in 2023, with the expectation being that he will come into contention for Ballon d’Or honours at some stage in the near future. He will, however, have to maintain impressive standards in order to make that possible, with inspiration taken from the likes of Messi and Ronaldo when it comes to enjoying longevity at the very top of the game.

Former Real Madrid boss Julen Lopetegui has told Sky Sports of Bellingham’s present and future: “I knew him because I play against him in the Champions League, in the quarter-final a few years ago with Sevilla. He was a very good player in this moment, of course. I think now he is showing one quality that maybe no-one knows or didn’t think he has because he has become a scorer of a lot of goals. He is doing very well. It is not easy to become a key player in a team like Real Madrid. At the moment he is playing at a very high level. Not only playing, he is scoring a lot of goals. Maybe that is not his principle work, but he is doing very well. He has the strengths to achieve all of his aims. But, be calm because the most difficult thing for football’s elite is not only to arrive, it is to keep there for a lot of years. We will see what’s going to happen.”

Bellingham’s character has been praised on a regular basis as he looks to become a model of consistency, with his stunning exploits in the 2023-24 campaign achieved despite nursing a shoulder injury that may yet require surgery.