"Him joining Real Madrid genuinely changed lives", "Take a bow" - Fans hail Los Blancos star as they win 2024 FIFA Intercontinental Cup
Several Real Madrid fans lavished praise on superstar midfielder Jude Bellingham after they defeated Mexican outfit Pachuca to win the inaugural FIFA Intercontinental Cup on December 18. Kylian Mbappe (37'), Rodrygo Goes (53') and Vinicius Jr. (84', p) scored to end the game 3-0 in favor of the Spanish giants at the Lusail Stadium.
Jude Bellingham started the game in an attacking-midfield position and was one of the major contributors in all three departments for his side. The Englishman had 82 ball touches in the game and recorded an impressive passing accuracy of 84% (54/64). He was also instrumental in the team's defense, winning nine out of 15 attempted duels.
(The abovementioned statistics are taken from Sofascore on December 19. The website is privately owned and may change the data as per its prerogative.)
Jude Bellingham provided a defense-splitting through ball to Vinicius Jr. to help create Real Madrid's opening goal in the 37th minute. The Brazilian dribbled past two to serve the ball on a platter to the approaching Kylian Mbappe, who made no mistake with the finishing.
Fans appreciated Jude Bellingham's performance in the game and penned down their opinions on X. Some popular reactions are as follows:
"Jude Bellingham joining Real Madrid genuinely changed lives man," a fan wrote on X.
"Every time you watch Jude Bellingham play you just think WOW," opined another.
"Jude Bellingham is the complete midfield package. Damn!" a fan commented on X.
One user hailed the Englishman as the best player across the globe, writing:
"Jude Bellingham, you’re the best player in the world."
"Take a bow for Jude Bellingham. Sensational," lauded another.
"Bellingham 10/10 performance tonight," a Madridista wrote on X.
"What a massive performance from Jude Bellingham," inferred a fan.
Despite having a sluggish start to the 2024-25 season, Bellingham has found form at a crucial juncture for Real Madrid. The Englishman has scored seven goals and created six more in 21 games across competitions.
When Real Madrid legend Zinedine Zidane waxed lyrical about Jude Bellingham
Real Madrid and France legend Zinedine Zidane recently raved about Jude Bellingham after the Englishman was inducted into the Adidas Predator family.
In 2023, the 21-year-old joined Los Blancos from Borussia Dortmund for a reported transfer fee of €113 million (via Transfermarkt). He was handed Zinedine Zidane's iconic No. 5 shirt and has since scored 30 goals and created 19 more in 62 games across competitions.
Bellingham recently joined Madrid legends like David Beckham, David Trezeguet, and Zidane to be included in the Adidas Predator club. Zidane said about the English midfielder (via Madrid Xtra):
"Jude Bellingham? He is a good successor for everything. For his football, for the fans, for Real Madrid, to the shirt, to the boots and I’m pleased he’s part of the Predator boots family.”
Zinedine Zidane created history in the 1998 FIFA World Cup final against Brazil wearing the Adidas Predator Accelerator. The Frenchman scored a brace in Les Bleus' 3-0 win over Brazil to claim the World Cup trophy.