Do we like them?

Do we like Jude Bellingham?

Our score: 7 out of 10. Nothing harmful in his own words or acts turned up, and there's real charity work, but the record has heated on-pitch moments and one disputed insult case.

Jude Bellingham is from Stourbridge in the West Midlands. He joined Stourbridge Juniors at six and Birmingham City's academy at eight. He made his senior debut at 16 and became the club's youngest goalscorer, then moved to Borussia Dortmund in 2020.

Real Madrid came next in 2023. He scored 14 goals in his first 15 games and won La Liga and the Champions League in his first season. He debuted for England at 17 and has two European Championship runner-up medals, from 2020 and 2024.

The big messy story is a 2024 La Liga clash with Mason Greenwood. Getafe alleged Bellingham called the Manchester United loanee a “rapist” on the pitch. Video showed him saying a two-syllable word, and Bellingham said he had said “rubbish”. The case was archived after a lip-reader couldn't tell which it was, so no action followed. It's allegation only, but it shows the heat he plays with.

On the harm check, we found nothing. We found no remarks about LGBTQ+ people, women, migrants or the planet, no fringe politics and no run of dodgy collaborations. Our searches turned up on-pitch spats and disciplinary stoushes, plus one gesture row at Euro 2024 we couldn't open a proper source for. It's a thin political record rather than a clean bill of health, but nothing here is harmful.

The recent chapter is the 2026 World Cup. England lost 2-1 to Argentina in the semi-final in Atlanta, after Enzo Fernandez equalised late and Lautaro Martinez scored in stoppage time. Bellingham had seven goal contributions, including a brace against Norway in the quarter-final, and fronted up afterwards saying his “head is a bit fuzzy with disappointment”.

The good stuff is real. Through the Mustard Seed Project he helped build a new classroom for 275 pupils in Mombasa, Kenya, after donating football kits through his sponsor. He did it as a teenager, which counts for plenty. SI also notes he gave football equipment and a study room to children in Mombasa.