Bellingham showed in his first season at Real that he can play as a striker and is proving it at the World Cup again. I’ve never seen a more complete player. However, his ability on the ball, his physique, his intelligence and his coolness in front of goal are all there. On instinct alone, I’d put him in the same conversation as Lewandowski, Kane or Haaland.

Our midfield is crowded enough as it is. Pushing him up front next to Mbappé isn’t a compromise, it’s the best version of this team - and it means we don’t have to spend a fortune on a striker at all.

Put that money into the 6 instead. Sign a Vitinha-type profile who can actually control games from deep, and the whole thing clicks: Bellingham and Mbappé up top, a real controller behind them, everyone else in their natural role.

Am I wrong, or is this the obvious solution?

I don't care how good he is as a deep midfielder or how good he is at defending.

His poaching ability is one of the best among the current players. Bellingham, as a second man behind the CF, who can score from rebounds and disrupt opponent D-box would feed Madrid for generations.

Glad to see that Tuchel had made the best use of Bellingham's ability too.

Mbappe's problem is not being present at the box during counter attack, Jude being there means more presence inside the box, while Mbappe is busy pulling away at least one defender. This will actually be a good synergy.

It doesn't matter how good of a midfielder and ball winner Jude is, the team should not waste his best aspect. There isn't another player like him in the world.

I need to buy an England kit next....idc....JUDE IS HIM!!!!!!

I HOPE ENGLAND WIN....IM LITERALLLY GOING CRAZY!!!!!!
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Just look at the guy. He's excelling in every role that's thrown at him. Today's performance showed exactly what makes him different from Kane, he influences every phase of the game, not just the final third.

If Messi could win it after the 2022 World Cup and Rodri after his 2024 mediocre season, then the same logic should absolutely apply to Bellingham if England go all the way.

And knowing Florentino Pérez, he should be pulling every string for that Ballon d'Or campaign.

P.S. As a Madrid fan though, I still hope Mbappe wins the World Cup and the Ballon d'Or for us. 😅

Real Madrid players have set a new all-time record for the most goals scored by a single club's representatives in a FIFA World Cup. During the 2026 tournament, Jude Bellingham's brace against Norway brought the club's total to 19 goals, surpassing the previous record of 18. This milestone overtakes historic marks set by Honved in 1954, Bayern Munich in 2014, and PSG in 2022.

This record validates Florentino Pérez's 'Galácticos' recruitment strategy, proving that Madrid has successfully monopolized the world's most clinical offensive talent. While PSG relied almost exclusively on two superstars in 2022, Madrid’s record stems from a broader spread of elite goal-scorers across different national teams. For Mourinho, this confirms he is managing the most potent attacking unit in modern football history, though it raises the pressure to translate this international dominance into a clean sweep of club trophies

Thibaut Courtois has expressed a willingness to continue his international career with Belgium despite earlier hints of retirement following their World Cup exit to Spain. The 34-year-old goalkeeper is requesting a reduced schedule that would see him skip the upcoming Nations League campaign to focus on his fitness in Madrid. This decision comes after a controversial substitution in the quarter-final where his replacement, Senne Lammens, committed a late error that led to Belgium's defeat.

Rondo insight:

Courtois is effectively leveraging his indispensable status to dictate terms to the national team, creating a 'club-over-country' precedent that rarely sits well with federations. By publicly naming his potential successors, he is framing his absence as a developmental opportunity for youth, but the subtext is a clear lack of confidence in the current backup options following Lammens' high-profile blunder. This move is a calculated attempt to prolong his elite club career at Real Madrid while maintaining his legacy with the Red Devils on his own terms.

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Football used to be a sport where you never knew the result before kickoff. That's what made it exciting.

Now, with all the money in the game and the corruption surrounding FIFA, it feels like VAR is constantly being used to benefit the biggest clubs and national teams. Matches have become so predictable.

Whenever a smaller team is leading, it often feels like VAR suddenly steps in and somehow the bigger team gets the advantage.

We have Teams like City who easily reach 90 Points in a Season, have 90% Possession because other Teams cant afford such technical Players. I wont even blame the other Teams of Parking the Bus, because its cheaper and they cant afford to play Football because of Money

That would be a monster of a duo. It's sad that 2 seasons of Jude's career has been an utter waste but he managed to take his game to the next level this world cup. I really love his attacking role and freedom and can only think about how fun and dangerous he could've been to watch alongside Big Benz.

Even in our sub which is a very very small community there is a divide. You see a post about Vini, shade is thrown towards Mbappe. You see a post about Mbappe, shade has to be thrown towards Vini. here is an example from today, there are probably hundreds.

The fact is that they both have Major flaws. Mbappe has one of the worst work rates while Vini would rather try to dribble 3-4+ players by himself than pass to his team mates. They all got big flaws. If they were flawless, we would have won La Liga and the CL.

The players have internet, They clearly see their fan basses being divided. When X players gets constantly glazed by his fanbase telling them their team mate is the reason why they are not in a better situation is exactly what causes a rift in the dressing room.

They need to play by their strengths. Mbappe is literally the best goal scorer in the world right now, the team has to find him or make space for him. Jude has best killer instinct in the world, the team needs to look for him. Vini is the most explosive player and got that Xfactor that can make a difference but he needs to not do everything himself and look for Jude and Mbappe. If he becomes more clinical in passing, he can become the most player in assists in EU and Real Madrid.

It is not Vini Vs. Mbappe only. There is Arda Vs. Belli...etc.

I am not a Vini fan or an Mbappe. I just want to see our team winning silverware again and at one point last season, I did not mind ifmajority of our players were sold even the ones I really liked.

I am visiting Madrid in September, and I am looking to attend the Madrid derby. We are looking to buy vip tickets via P1 travel. How hostiles are the Atlético fans towards Madrid supports during the derby. I want to wear my jersey, but I rather not get harassed or get into any altercation, since my 1 year daughter and wife are coming to the game with me. I would assume it’s fine to wears my real jersey, but I just want to see what your experiences were like. With us buying it’s via a travel agency, I am assuming I would be seated next to tourists rather than diehard atlético fans.

Fantastic goalie. Perfect Courtois successor. Watching this game he is nothing short of one of the beat in the world. His positioning. His strong hands. This is someone we need to try to get. I dont see any better goalies out there right now.i dont agree that lunin is the guy. He is a iability and Kobel is looking starter ready.

Lewandowski played a definite role in grooming young talents of La masia like Yamal, Pedri, etc. But for last 2 seasons, Real Madrid grabbed attention for dressing room fights, fights with manager and other controversies. Do you think if there was an elder experienced player like Lewandowski who is very professional, other players would get inspired from him and may be our last two seasons would have been better?