The Spanish press have delivered their verdict on Jude Bellingham’s Club World Cup campaign after Real Madrid were thrashed 4-0 by Paris Saint-Germain in Wednesday night’s semi-final. Two goals from Fabian Ruiz, along with strikes from Ousmane Dembele and Goncalo Ramos, left Xabi Alonso’s side staring down the barrel of elimination from a tournament that could have netted them over £125 million had they gone all the way.
But the hunt for silverware has often run dry in recent months for Los Blancos, who had to watch bitter rivals Barcelona sweep every domestic honour last season, while they themselves were unceremoniously dumped out of the Champions League in the Round of 16 by Manchester City.
And in true unforgiving fashion, the Spanish media have not held back on a lot of individual performances. But perhaps thanks to Bellingham’s heroic debut season - where he notched 36 goal contributions in 42 games en route to a La Liga and Champions League double - the criticism has been far less brutal in his direction, with mitigating circumstances also playing its part.
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How Bellingham Performed Against PSG
The 22-year-old struggled to make an impact
Jude Bellingham
Luis Enrique’s new-look PSG side attracted plenty of admirers during their run to a long-awaited first-ever Champions League title in the 2024/25 campaign, with their relentless high-press system making it incredibly difficult for opposition midfields to gain any sort of foothold against Les Parisiens.
That was Bellingham’s problem during his 100th appearance for Los Blancos. In his 64-minute cameo, he registered just 77% pass accuracy, made no key passes, created no big chances, and saw his only shot blocked. Perhaps the England international’s only real success was winning five of his six ground duels, as he was forced into a more defensive role at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium.
Reacting to his display online, which also saw Bellingham lose possession eight times, X users were quick to pile on the criticism, with one remarking: "I will always maintain, McTominay is a better footballer than Bellingham. There's no amount of English PR that will gaslight my eyes," while a second wrote:
"Jude Bellingham has mastered the art of looking busy on a football pitch. The casuals love it, the analytics guys love it, I see through it. He is not elite in any sense of the word, closer to a Scott McTominay than a Pedri or a Musiala. A 3/10 on his best day. Overrated."
A third X user said: "Bellingham without a player like Kroos behind him is basically english Paulinho." Meanwhile, a fourth wrote: "No player ghosts like Bellingham when there are actual midfielders on the pitch."
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Spanish Press Cast Verdict on Bellingham's Club World Cup
They have been uncharacteristically sympathetic towards the Englishman
jude bellingham
While Spanish outlet Marca gave Bellingham a 6/10 rating for his Club World Cup performance, their reasoning suggested a reluctance to heap too much pressure on him - despite the fact that the likes of Thibaut Courtois, Luka Modric, Aurelien Tchouameni, and Tent Alexander-Arnold all received higher ratings than the midfielder.
Throughout the last two seasons, the 22-year-old was frequently seen wearing protective strapping on his left shoulder to avoid surgery and prolonged time on the sidelines. That issue continues to trouble him, and Marca wrote:
"The first thing Bellingham will do when he arrives in Madrid is undergo surgery on his left shoulder, which has been bothering him for almost two years. He needs it, as much as a mental reset after a difficult year for him, following his brutal emergence at the Bernabeu two seasons ago."
They continued: "Despite being far from the numbers of his first season, his numbers are still more than respectable. The first thing is to heal his body and mind."
Although it will come at the cost of three to four months on the sidelines, it has finally been confirmed that Bellingham will undergo surgery on his left shoulder this summer - news that will please those hoping he can play a starring role in England’s 2026 World Cup campaign.
In that case, his next game may not come until November, giving him the chance to rest both mentally and physically ahead of the busy winter period.
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