Real Madrid News
Jude Bellingham is already breaking records under Mourinho at Real Madrid
Jude Bellingham has wasted little time reminding La Liga of what he can do, with the Real Madrid midfielder producing four goal contributions across the opening three matches of Jose Mourinho’s reign.
The England international has scored twice and provided two assists, putting him among the league’s leading players for combined goals and assists alongside Mariano Diaz, Alex Baena and Raphinha.
It is a remarkable start for Bellingham, who has once again emerged as one of the most influential players in Madrid’s attack.
In fact, as explained by Opta Jose, he is also the first Real Madrid player since his own arrival in 2023 to register four goal contributions across the opening three league games of a season.
In 2023, he went even further, producing four goals and an assist during that opening sequence.
Bellingham’s Malaga display captures his influence
The 4-0 victory over Malaga provided a particularly clear example of what makes Bellingham so dangerous.
His goal came from the kind of determination that has become a trademark of his game, while his pressure also contributed to an own goal.
4 – @BellinghamJude 🏴es el jugador con más participaciones en @LaLiga esta temporada, dos goles y dos asistencias (cuatro como Mariano Díaz, Álex Baena y Raphinha).
— OptaJose (@OptaJose) August 30, 2026
Primer jugador del @realmadrid que participa en cuatro goles en los primeros tres partidos de una campaña de la… pic.twitter.com/QUG5bWUhVg
The midfielder simply refused to switch off, repeatedly forcing the game in Madrid’s favour.
That same mentality was visible against Real Sociedad, when he created the opportunity for Vinicius Jr. to score.
Furthermore, Bellingham’s influence is not limited to the final pass or finish, as he can also generate danger through his movement, pressing and willingness to attack situations others might abandon.
When he accelerates into a dangerous area, teammates know they have to react.
Numbers show a remarkably complete midfielder
Bellingham’s attacking output has understandably attracted most of the attention, but his overall statistics underline how much he contributes to Mourinho’s side.
He shares the lead for assists with Vinicius and has recovered possession 11 times, matching Vinicius and trailing only Eduardo Camavinga’s 13.
Real Madrid is bringing back those 2023 vibes with “Hey Jude” @TheAthleticFC pic.twitter.com/Tos9dk1F09
— Guillermo Rai (@GuillermoRai_) August 30, 2026
He has also created seven chances, completed 81 passes in the opposition half and registered seven successful dribbles.
Those numbers place him near the top across several categories, even when he is not leading them outright.
Federico Valverde, for example, has completed 109 passes in the opposition half, while Vinicius has completed four more dribbles.
For Mourinho, having a midfielder capable of contributing in so many different phases is a major advantage.
Bellingham can arrive in the box, create for teammates, carry the ball, press aggressively and recover possession.
Notably, the Bernabéu has noticed, too. The familiar “Hey Jude” chants are returning, and there is growing evidence that Bellingham remains central to Madrid’s ambitions under Mourinho.
Real Madrid News
Jose Mourinho was always clear about getting rid of Real Madrid midfielder this summer – report
Real Madrid’s summer transfer window was largely successful, not only in terms of securing key arrivals but also in terms of letting go of players who had no place in the dynamics.
One player who stood out in the second category was Dani Ceballos as the Spanish midfielder was frozen out of Real Madrid’s starting dynamics for several years before his eventual departure.
In the end, the club simply let the player leave as a free agent by accepting a contract termination as they saw the salary space freed as a win compared to his presence.
Mourinho’s clear stance
As confirmed in a recent report by Diario AS, Real Madrid’s new manager Jose Mourinho has no doubt that he did not count on Ceballos for the ongoing season.
Being the straightforward communicator that he is, the Portuguese manager directly informed Ceballos that he did not count on him in any capacity, speaking out loud about a fact that was known as an open secret for a long time.
Having clarity that his situation at the club was not going to change, Ceballos pressed to leave and eventually had his way as the club allowed him to walk out of the front door with no transfer fee.
Times were tense
The Spanish outlet also add that the decision to let the player leave with a contract termination was not easy for Real Madrid to accept, especially given that it is a last resort.
In the negotiations between Ceballos and the Real Madrid hierarchy, there were some moments filled with tension and disagreements.
In fact, there was even an initial exit agreement that was reached which was cancelled in the hope of a better outcome.
Eventually, however, both parties reached a fitting resolution and Real Madrid enabled the player’s departure without any hurdles and Ceballos went on to join Real Betis.
Even that move required the player to take a massive cut on his salary, but the saga worked out well for both clubs as the player. From Real Madrid’s perspective, the space created on the team’s roster was worth its weight in gold.
