When Jude Bellingham was unveiled at Real Madrid, he chose the number 5 shirt, made popular at the club by Zinedine Zidane.
The English superstar had made it clear that Zidane remains his idol and reference for his career.
However, Marca, a reputable Spanish newspaper claims that Bellingham is a better signing for Real Madrid than Zidane.
The reason for their claim is the age difference between both, not for performance or achievement.
When Zidane signed for Real Madrid in 2001, the France legend was already 29 years old.
Zidane had won the Ballon d’Or a couple of years prior, including the World Cup. A year after joining Real Madrid, he helped Los Blancos win the Champions League
Unfortunately, Zizou didn’t win the Ballon d’Or after arriving at Real Madrid. He didn’t win the Champions League more than once either.
On the one hand, there’s Bellingham. The midfielder was 19 years old when Real Madrid signed him in the summer of 2023.
Los Blancos were taking some risk by paying 103 million Euros for such a youngster.
However, Jude wasn’t flustered by the pressure of signing for a massive club like Real Madrid. He took the bull by the horns, scored 21 goals in his first season and was named La Liga’s best player.
Bellingham is only just 21 years old now with his career in front of him. Unlike with Zidane, Real Madrid will enjoy Bellingham’s best years.
There’s no saying what Bellingham will go on to achieve at Real Madrid. He could win several trophies, including the Ballon d’Or.
The English midfielder has already won the Champions League and La Liga to start with.
This season, Jude has already plundered eight goals for Real Madrid plus seven assists. That’s 15-goal contributions halfway through the season. And don’t forget he already helped Madrid win two trophies this season — the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA’s Intercontinental Cup.
Bellingham’s playing career at Real Madrid is on course to eclipse Zidane’s.