{"id":630169,"date":"2025-09-15T16:58:40","date_gmt":"2025-09-15T15:58:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/?p=630169"},"modified":"2025-09-15T16:58:45","modified_gmt":"2025-09-15T15:58:45","slug":"jude-bellingham-makes-massive-return-to-real-madrid-squad-sparks-uefa-champions-league-hopes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/jude-bellingham-makes-massive-return-to-real-madrid-squad-sparks-uefa-champions-league-hopes\/","title":{"rendered":"Jude Bellingham Makes Massive Return to Real Madrid Squad, Sparks UEFA Champions League Hopes"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>After a tormenting injury lay-off, Jude Bellingham has made his highly anticipated return to the Real Madrid setup. The 22-year-old has been included in the Los Blancos squad for their 2025-26 UEFA Champions League opener against Olympique de Marseille. After numerous weeks of intense recovery and rehabilitation, the England international superstar will rejoin the men in white &ndash; hoping to continue their strong start to the <a href=\"https:\/\/theplayoffs.news\/en\/soccer\/\" class=\"trk-cta-link\" data-cta-trk='{\"ctaType\":\"Link\",\"ctaSubType\":\"main\"}'>campaign<\/a>.<\/p><p>Bellingham joined Real Madrid in June 2023, with huge aspirations to win the La Liga and Champions League crowns. In one of the groundbreaking deals at the time, Real Madrid signed the prodigious talent on a six-year contract. In his first season with the Spanish giants, Bellingham tore the league apart. Completing the league + UCL double, Bellingham&rsquo;s supremely impressive stats made the then manager Carlo Ancelotti term him &ldquo;a veteran.&rdquo;<\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Jude Bellingham speaks after winning his FIRST UCL with Real Madrid | UCL Today | CBS Sports Golazo\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/q6N3pNf5e-U?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure><p>With 36 goals and 24 assists to his name, Jude Bellingham is well and truly a key inclusion in the Real Madrid midfield. Slotting in as an attacking midfielder and an occasional false-nine, Xabi Alonso will be <a href=\"https:\/\/www.goal.com\/en-gb\/lists\/xabi-alonso-jude-bellingham-recovery-update-when-injured-real-madrid-star-will-return\/blt59577567351b046b\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" class=\"trk-cta-link\" data-cta-trk='{\"ctaType\":\"Link\",\"ctaSubType\":\"main\"}'>delighted<\/a> that the Englishman has returned to match fitness.<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Jude Bellingham Included in Real Madrid Squad for UCL Opener<\/h2><figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Jude Bellingham underwent shoulder surgery in July, and wasn't expected to return until October.<br><br>&hellip;he's back in Real Madrid's squad to face Marseille on Tuesday &#128170; <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/5cz4luIqJL\" class=\"trk-cta-link\" data-cta-trk='{\"ctaType\":\"Link\",\"ctaSubType\":\"main\"}'>pic.twitter.com\/5cz4luIqJL<\/a><\/p>&mdash; B\/R Football (@brfootball) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/brfootball\/status\/1967594654767206631?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" class=\"trk-cta-link\" data-cta-trk='{\"ctaType\":\"Link\",\"ctaSubType\":\"main\"}'>September 15, 2025<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure><p>On Monday, Real Madrid confirmed that Jude Bellingham has been included in the match-day squad for their upcoming UEFA Champions League group stage match against Marseille. He completed training with the team for the first time since his shoulder injury which kept him out after the FIFA Club World Cup. Initially expected to return only in October, Bellingham&rsquo;s recovery has gone better than expected.<\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"&iexcl;TODOS los GOLES de JUDE BELLINGHAM en LALIGA EA SPORTS! &#128285;\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/IKclnsMSNHw?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure><p>The box-to-box midfielder suffered a shoulder dislocation during Real Madrid&rsquo;s encounter against Rayo Vallecano in November 2023. He played through the initial knock, until the discomfort worsened to a large extent. After the Club World Cup in July 2025, Bellingham underwent surgery in London to address the recurring pain in his shoulder. Yet, the road to recovery has been more than successful for the midfielder &ndash; as Real Madrid said <em>&lsquo;Hey Jude&rsquo; <\/em>by welcoming their pivotal cog back to the 23-man squad to face Marseille on Wednesday.<\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">&#128203;&#9989; Our squad for the match!  <br>&#127386; <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/OM_English?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" class=\"trk-cta-link\" data-cta-trk='{\"ctaType\":\"Link\",\"ctaSubType\":\"main\"}'>@OM_English<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/1qiyZYN5tc\" class=\"trk-cta-link\" data-cta-trk='{\"ctaType\":\"Link\",\"ctaSubType\":\"main\"}'>pic.twitter.com\/1qiyZYN5tc<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Real Madrid C.F. &#127468;&#127463;&#127482;&#127480; (@realmadriden) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/realmadriden\/status\/1967576330008215643?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" class=\"trk-cta-link\" data-cta-trk='{\"ctaType\":\"Link\",\"ctaSubType\":\"main\"}'>September 15, 2025<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure><p>Will Real Madrid continue their invincible start to the 2025-26 outing after Jude Bellingham&rsquo;s return? Only time will tell.<\/p><p><em>(Image Credits: Lee Smith, Imagn Images)<\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"mm-layout mm-layout-type-post mm-layout-slot4\">\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Bellingham included in the 23-man Real Madrid UCL squad.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":34,"featured_media":630176,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_mux_skip_reasons":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[4038,3843],"tags":[4098,4913,3950,3948,3904,3903,6280],"class_list":["post-630169","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-soccer","category-soccer-predictions","tag-carlo-ancelotti","tag-england","tag-jude-bellingham","tag-la-liga","tag-real-madrid","tag-uefa-champions-league","tag-xabi-alonso"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Jude Bellingham Makes Massive Return to Real Madrid Squad, Sparks UEFA Champions League Hopes - 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