Real Madrid question England handling of Jude Bellingham after 'pointless' international call-up

Jack Otway
Thu, 02 Apr 2026 12:51:01 +0000

Real Madrid officials are reportedly frustrated with how England managed Jude Bellingham during the recent international window, with the 22-year-old midfielder failing to feature in either friendly match despite being selected for Thomas Tuchel's squad.

The Spanish giants are said to be perplexed by the decision to summon Bellingham to the 35-man group for fixtures against Uruguay and Japan when he was not fully fit to participate.

Spanish publication Marca described the England call-up as "a pointless trip" that has "raised more questions than answers" for the La Liga club.

Madrid reportedly view the midfielder's inclusion in Tuchel's expanded pre-World Cup squad as "unnecessary" given his ongoing fitness concerns.

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Bellingham has been battling to regain full fitness since sustaining a hamstring injury in early February.

His only appearance since then came as a substitute in Real Madrid's derby triumph over Atletico Madrid a fortnight ago, where he managed just a brief cameo.

Despite his incomplete recovery, Tuchel selected the midfielder for England's final international gathering before announcing his World Cup squad for this summer's tournament in North America.

While Bellingham participated in training sessions ahead of both the 1-1 Wembley draw with Uruguay and Tuesday's surprising 1-0 loss to Japan, the England boss deemed it "too much of a risk" to deploy him in either fixture.

Tuchel defended his approach prior to the Japan defeat, insisting all parties had benefited from Bellingham's presence at the camp.

Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, the England manager said: "We have all gained from him being part of it.

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"He was excellent in training, but he was involved as a neutral player. He was involved in not the whole 100 per cent of the training."

Tuchel emphasised the delicate nature of the injury, explaining: "The injury is a muscle, it's a very particular one, and we absolutely don't want the re-injury in this moment of the season."

The German coach added that Bellingham himself recognised the value of attending the international camp despite not playing.

The timing of Bellingham's international involvement poses significant challenges for Real Madrid ahead of their Champions League quarter-final first leg against Bayern Munich, scheduled for less than a week's time.

Los Blancos have only a La Liga encounter with Mallorca before the crucial European clash at the Bernabeu against the German champions.

Manager Alvaro Arbeloa will be eager to field Bellingham from the start against Bayern, though the midfielder's absence of competitive minutes during the England camp complicates that decision.

Madrid officials believe Tuchel's choice to keep Bellingham sidelined has "done little to help" prepare the player for the pivotal encounter with the Bundesliga leaders.

Whether he can stay fit between now and the end of the campaign remains to be seen.