Fans think Jude Bellingham should leave the Club World Cup after what he said following Real Madrid’s 3-1 win against Pachuca on Sunday.
Bellingham, 21, scored Real Madrid’s first goal in their victory against Mexican side Pachuca at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina.
However, after the match, the 21-year-old England international voiced his frustrations at a persistent shoulder injury which he sustained during a La Liga match in 2023. He has since worn a brace underneath his shirt during games.
“I'm fed up with the brace,” said Bellingham after Real’s win over Pachuca.
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“Hopefully, we get to the final, and I've got surgery a few days after the tournament to get it fixed. I'm really happy about that. It's been a long time coming.
“I've got to the point where the pain isn't so bad. It's more just getting fed up with it, with players tugging on it and it getting rearranged every time.
“I think I've come to the end of my patience with it. I'm sick of playing in a brace, especially in this heat, and it'll be nice to have my old body back.
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“I'm at that point where I'm ready to have a free shoulder and a free body.”
And fans were quick to give their thoughts on the situation after the game, with some even suggesting he should leave the tournament and undergo surgery.
One said: “He should have had the surgery by now. We need him when the season begins.”
Another added: “Man’s putting in top performances whilst carrying this injury. He’s unbelievably good man.”
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A third explained: “Just do the surgery and abandon this stupid CWC.”
Of course, depending on what stage of the tournament Real Madrid reach, Bellingham’s surgery could impact the start of the side’s 2025/26 campaign.
The Club World Cup final will take place on July 13, just over four weeks before the La Liga campaign commences on the weekend of 16/17 August.
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In May, Spanish journalist Guillem Balague explained in his BBC Sport column that “Jude Bellingham is expected to miss at least the first six weeks of next season when he has shoulder surgery after the Club World Cup”.
His proposed absence may also see him miss England’s World Cup qualifiers against Andorra and Serbia in September.
Topics: Jude Bellingham, Real Madrid, Injury, Football, La Liga, England
Luke Davies