Jude Bellingham can become one of the biggest players of Real Madrid, says former Los Blancos -Baas Rafa Benitez.
The midfielder of England is a hit in the Spanish capital since his move from Borussia Dortmund in 2023 and leads their efforts to defend their Champions League crown this season after lifting the trophy in his first campaign in the Bernabeu.
Bellingham scored the winner in Real’s dramatic 3-2 victory over Manchester City last week and will be the key to his side that is progressing through their knockout play-off tie in the second stage of Wednesday.
In an interview with Sky Sports, Spaniard Benitez believes that the 21-year-old has all the tools to become the newest in a long list of big ones at the illustrious Laliga Club.
The former real boss said: “He has the potential, yes. It is possible to do it, it’s a matter of time. I said earlier, modern football has changed a lot. In the past the players have people in the neighborhood, but they were more focused and you didn’t have the social media, so you had fewer distractions.
“Now they have so many people in the neighborhood, so much money, so easy to get what you want, and the social media have so much influence that it is difficult to be consistent for five or 10 years.
“So we’re talking about being better than [Alfredo] Di Stefano, to be better than Raul, to be better than [Emilio] Butragueno. You really have to be consistent to be better than they do. He has the potential, yes.
“Can he do it for a few years? It depends on how adult he is and then the people around him. ‘
5️⃣ @Bellinghamjude
9️⃣ @Kmbappe pic.twitter.com/wyobdd3z1m– Real Madrid CF 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) February 18, 2025
‘Real will do the job’
Real Madrid scored two goals in the last five minutes on Etihad last Tuesday, so that they could return home with a crucial advantage and Benitez believes that his former party will do the job.
He added: “In theory, Real Madrid has to attack, but I don’t think Carlo Ancelotti will worry about that. There will be that expectation now that it will really get the job in the Bernabeu.
“Manchester City does not have the same confidence that they had in the past. But don’t forget that it is Champions League, and Pep Guardiola has experience and the players he has, they also have enormous experience at European level.
“So I think everything can happen. When they have so much quality in the team, in the team, everything can happen. ‘
