Jude Bellingham Highlights ‘Tough’ Change Jose Mourinho Is Bringing to Real Madrid

Jude Bellingham admitted working under new manager José Mourinho is a “dream” as Real Madrid prepare to kick off the 2026–27 season.

The England international was the last player to join up with the team following the 2026 World Cup, but he is finally in training and getting into the swing of things at Valdebebas. It marks the third summer in four seasons at Real Madrid Bellingham must get to know a new manager.

Still, the midfielder had nothing but praise for the ever-divisive Mourinho, whose fingerprints are already all over a largely overhauled squad.

“I’m very happy to be back with my teammates and to be with the new coach,” Bellingham told Real Madrid TV. “I feel like I already have a connection with him, and it’s a dream for me to work with a coach like Mourinho. I only had one chance to meet him, but I’m very excited to see what he’s like.

“I have good feelings about this season with the new signings and the coach.”

Los Blancos welcomed six new faces this summer, signing Marc Cucurella, Yan Diomande, Bernardo Silva, Ibrahima Konaté, Denzel Dumfries and Carlos Espí. The former two are automatic upgrades at left back and right wing respectively, two problem positions over the last two seasons for Real Madrid.

Bellingham Hints at Early Difference Under Mourinho

José Mourinho demands the most from his players. | LOF/BSR Agency/Getty Images

When asked about preseason, Bellingham admitted, “I’m running a lot, with the heat, and I’m playing a lot of football with my teammates. It’s tough, but it’s good to enjoy. I really like this kind of struggle.”

The statement might sound rather mundane, but for a Real Madrid side notorious for its low work rate, Bellingham’s admission is already a sign of Mourinho’s influence. After all, over the last two seasons Los Blancos were routinely bashed for covering less ground than their opponents, even in the biggest games.

Bellingham often had to cover the spaces left wide open by Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior, doing all the dirty work for his two forwards. The midfielder previously called himself a “victim” of his own versatility, with Carlo Ancelotti, Xabi Alonso and Álvaro Arbeloa playing him all over the pitch to plug the holes in Real Madrid’s squad.

Bellingham operated as a false nine, a No. 10, a left midfielder, a central midfielder and a quasi-fullback all in his first three seasons in the Spanish capital. But the team’s over-reliance on the midfielder could finally come to an end if Mourinho truly gets all his players to buy into his high-intensity tactics.

The key to Real Madrid’s success in 2023–24 was Bellingham’s influence up top. If Mourinho can free the 23-year-old from his excessive defensive burdens, the manager can once again get the best out of the No. 10, and in turn, perhaps the best out of his new squad.

Bellingham Reflects on the 2026 World Cup

Jude Bellingham enjoyed an outstanding World Cup. | Richard Pelham/Getty Images

Like many of the biggest names at Real Madrid, Bellingham was late joining up with the team this summer due to the 2026 World Cup. The midfielder put together a sensational campaign for England, scoring seven goals in eight appearances en route to his country’s third place finish.

Still, Bellingham did not want to dwell on the tournament, fully turning his attention to the upcoming season.

“The World Cup was a very good experience for me and my teammates from England, but I’m ready to return and compete with my Real Madrid teammates,” he said. “Hopefully, we can win.”

Los Blancos have now gone back-to-back seasons without lifting a major trophy, going through three managers along the way. Bellingham missed significant time in 2025–26 due to multiple injury issues, and as a result finished the campaign with just nine goals and six assists, both lows since he made the move from Dortmund to Real Madrid in the summer of 2023.

Mourinho would love nothing more if Bellingham could get back to his best form in a white shirt, especially now with 19-year-old Diomande completing a star-studded front line. The manager likely won’t have to worry much about the England international, but rather throwing in a rather inexperienced teenager to play alongside the likes of Mbappé and Vinícius Jr, two players who have struggled to mesh in the past.

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