Jude Bellingham Is Causing a Stir in NYC, and It's Not for Soccer

Jude Bellingham has played in some of the world's biggest soccer stadiums, but his latest crowd isn't gathering to watch him score.

In fact, the Real Madrid star isn't even in New York City. That hasn't stopped him from becoming one of downtown Manhattan's most talked-about attractions.

The 23-year-old England international is the face of a massive new Calvin Klein underwear billboard at the corner of Houston and Lafayette Streets. And while New Yorkers are accustomed to seeing celebrities plastered across buildings, Bellingham's latest campaign is apparently getting more than the usual passing glance.

People are stopping to take pictures, filming videos for TikTok and, according to one nearby resident, even holding up traffic for a better look.

For a player who spent the summer representing England at the World Cup, it's a rather different kind of attention.

Jude Bellingham's Latest Campaign Has New Yorkers Stopping in Their Tracks

The billboard features Bellingham modeling Calvin Klein's Icon Cotton Stretch Hip Brief, with the soccer star's image stretched across a 55-by-75-foot advertising space in Manhattan's NoHo neighborhood.

The location is familiar to anyone who follows fashion advertising. Calvin Klein has used the prominent corner for decades, often turning its campaigns into conversations that extend well beyond the clothing being sold.

This time, Bellingham is giving people plenty to talk about.

"All day long people have been honking horns and getting out of their cars to take videos," a person who lives nearby told Page Six.

Another source described the display as a tourist attraction, adding, "He is a babe."

The reaction hasn't been limited to the sidewalk. Videos of the billboard have been circulating on TikTok, where fans are joking about making special trips downtown just to see it.

One creator suggested that anyone claiming to be heading to SoHo for shopping might have a different destination in mind. Another called the billboard the best view in New York City.

It's the sort of attention that money can buy in advertising space, but not necessarily in genuine public interest. Bellingham's campaign has managed to turn a familiar Manhattan intersection into a place people are actively seeking out.

Bellingham Joins Some Famous Company in NYC

There's a reason this particular billboard has become such a coveted spot for Calvin Klein.

In January 2024, Jeremy Allen White's underwear campaign took over the same location, generating an enormous response online. Bad Bunny followed with his own campaign in March 2025, giving fans another reason to make the trip downtown.

Bellingham now joins that company, bringing an audience that extends from European soccer to fashion and pop culture.

The campaign was photographed by Oliver Hadlee Pearch in Madrid in August. It's also far from Bellingham's first venture into modeling. In 2024, he starred in an underwear campaign for Skims, the clothing brand founded by Kim Kardashian.

Still, there's something particularly amusing about the response to his latest appearance.

Bellingham has built his reputation on the field, emerging as one of England's biggest stars and becoming a central figure at Real Madrid. His performances have earned him the kind of international recognition most athletes spend their entire careers chasing.

But in Manhattan, nobody needs to know his goals, assists or Champions League résumé to appreciate the billboard.

For the moment, one of soccer's most recognizable young stars is getting plenty of attention without touching a ball.

And somewhere in downtown New York, another passerby is probably stopping to take a picture.

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