Jude Bellingham discussed his career, life in Madrid, the pressure he faced last season and England's 2026 World Cup in an interview with British fashion magazine Vogue.
Mourinho's story about a Roma child
Bellingham, the England international, retold a conversation with José Mourinho, as reported by Spanish newspaper Marca: “Mourinho said to me, when I was coaching Roma a few years ago, I saw one of the kids there in training who had cut three holes in the back of his socks. Mourinho approached him and asked him: why do you do that? The player replied: Bellingham does it, it relieves the pressure on the calf muscle.”
Bellingham added: “So Mourinho said to him: boy, you are nine years old, you don't have a calf muscle that needs relieving”
The pressure of last season
Bellingham, the Real Madrid player, said: “I felt at times during last season that the pressure was draining me and making me extremely tense.”
He also said: “I started talking to someone who helped me a lot with this matter, and with how to deal with these things” The Real Madrid player added: “When I go home after playing four matches in 14 days, all I want is to recover long enough so that I can go to bed when it's all over.”
Choosing to enjoy the 2026 World Cup
On England's 2026 World Cup, Bellingham, the England player, said: “During my participation, I made a conscious decision to enjoy it. This doesn't happen often, it is rare.”
Life in Madrid and Beckham's support
Bellingham spent five months studying Spanish after arriving in Madrid in 2023. The Real Madrid star said: “I think a big part of it lies in having enough confidence to start speaking. You know you are going to make mistakes, and your speech may not be perfect, but if people understand what you mean, they will probably say: well done for trying.”
Bellingham also recalled the backing he got from former Real Madrid and England star David Beckham during Euro 2024: “Sometimes the value does not lie in the message itself, but in the person who delivers it. You have someone beside you who completely understands what you are going through”
