The Double Dragon Act! Bellingham Delivers Elite CARRY Performances Every Game, Mourinho: He Deserves the Ballon d'Or

On August 31 Beijing time, in the third round of La Liga, Real Madrid defeated Malaga 4-0. Bellingham performed the 'Double Dragon Act' in the match, scoring a solo goal and forcing an own goal from the opponent to help the team make a perfect start with three consecutive wins.

In the 19th minute, Bellingham received the ball slightly left of center, surged forward with the ball, beat multiple defenders, and eventually scored from a tight angle on the right side to give Real Madrid a 1-0 lead.

In the 25th minute, Bellingham's headed follow-up effort inside the box caused Puga's clearance to hit Herrero and result in an own goal, giving Real Madrid a 2-0 advantage.

At this point, Bellingham had recorded 2 goals and 2 assists in three La Liga matches this season. More importantly, he was the only Real Madrid player to directly contribute to a goal in all three games through scoring or assisting. The article says his overall impact has surpassed Mbappe's three goals in three matches and Vinicius' one goal and two assists in three matches, noting that both players completed 90 minutes in the opening match without direct goal contributions.

In Real Madrid's first match of the new season (the second round), a 2-1 win over Espanyol, Bellingham scored the club's first goal of the new season in the ninth minute after receiving Guler's free kick and later hit the crossbar with a header. In the second match (the first round), a 4-1 win over Real Sociedad, Bellingham assisted Mbappe and Vinicius in the 60th and 68th minutes respectively, providing two assists in one game, helping Mbappe score a hat-trick and Vinicius score his first goal of the new season. In this match, he also opened the scoring, making him arguably Real Madrid's best-performing player since the start of the season and the true core of Mourinho's second spell at the club so far.

Bellingham joined Real Madrid from Dortmund in the summer transfer window of 2023 for a transfer fee of up to 127 million euros. He was unstoppable in his first season at Real Madrid, producing 23 goals and 13 assists in 42 matches, becoming the club's top scorer, while his 36 direct goal contributions also ranked first within the team.

During that outstanding start to the season, Bellingham scored 13 goals in Real Madrid's first 13 matches across all competitions, matching Cristiano Ronaldo's explosive start after joining Real Madrid. He also scored several late winners, earned key points for the team through his goals in many matches, and produced impressive statistics and performances in El Clasico, ultimately winning La Liga Player of the Season.

However, in the following two seasons, affected by Mbappe's arrival, changes in coaching tactics and personnel, the team's poor overall results, and his own serious shoulder injury, Bellingham's statistics declined. He recorded 15 goals and 14 assists in 58 matches in the 2024-25 season and 8 goals and 5 assists in 40 matches in the 2025-26 season, and was even questioned by England manager Tuchel for a period of time.

Fortunately, at the North America World Cup, although the two had some setbacks, they eventually resolved their differences. Bellingham returned to the squad and regained his starting role, delivering impressive performances. He finished the tournament with 7 goals and 1 assist, surpassing Kane's 6 goals to become England's top scorer at the tournament, and ranked joint third on the overall scoring chart with his close friend Haaland.

Playing as a midfielder while producing the output of a striker is Bellingham's unique ability. He also appears to have his own understanding of making strong starts and maintaining high levels of form. Mourinho's arrival has brought balance and harmony to the Real Madrid dressing room, which has benefited Bellingham greatly.

After the match, Mourinho commented on Bellingham: 'He has very high standards for himself and others, and I really like this character trait. However, I told him beforehand that I don't want him to become a second left-back when defending.'

'I have said that Real Madrid have more than one player who is qualified to win the Ballon d'Or, and Bellingham is one of them. Of course, we have one player (Mbappe) who created history at the World Cup, but Bellingham's performance in midfield is truly incredible as well.'