Jude Bellingham can become one of Real Madrid’s greatest players, says the former Los Blancos boss Rafa Benitez.
The English midfielder has been a hit in the Spanish capital since his move of Borussia Dortmund in 2023 and leads their efforts to defend their Champions League crown this season after lifting the trophy in his first campaign in Bernabeu.
Bellingham achieved the winner at the dramatic 3-2 victory of Real against Manchester City last week and will be crucial for his team in the second leg on Wednesday.
In an interview with Sky Sports, Spaniard Benitez believes that the 21-year-old has all the tools to become the latest in a long list of sizes in the illustrious Laliga Club.
The former real boss said: “He has the potential, yes. It is possible to do it, it’s a matter of time. I said before that modern football has changed a lot. In the past, players have people nearby, but they were more focused and they didn’t have social media, so they had fewer distractions.
“Now you have so many people nearby, so much money, so easy to get everything you want, and social media have so much influence that it is difficult for five or ten years to be consistent.
“So we speak to be better than (Alfredo) Di Stefano, to be better than Raul, to be better than (Emilio) BUAtrueno. You have to be really consistent to be better than you. He has the potential, yes.
“Can he do it for a few years? It depends on how ripe he is and then the people around him. “
5️⃣ @Bellinghamjude
9️⃣ @KMBAPF pic.twitter.com/wyobdd3z1m– Real Madrid CF 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@Realmadriden) February 18, 2025
“Real will do the job”
Real Madrid scored two goals in Etihad last Tuesday, so that they were able to return home with a decisive advantage, and Benitez believes that his former team will do the work.
He added: “In theory, Real Madrid has to attack, but I don’t think Carlo Ancelotti will be concerned about it. There will be this expectation if Real ends the job in Bernabeu.
“Manchester City does not have the same trust that they have had in the past. But don’t forget that it is Champions League and Pep Guardiola experience in this and the players he has, you also have massive experience at European level.
“So I think everything can happen. If you have so much quality in the team in the team, everything can happen. “
