Bellingham Highlights Madrid’s Trophy Aspirations for 2026

Jude Bellingham expressed Real Madrid’s ambition to return to trophy-winning form by 2026, acknowledging that the previous year was subpar for the LaLiga giants. He stated, “2025 was a bit poor,” as the team fell short in several major competitions.

In 2025, Madrid was unable to secure any major titles, finishing as runners-up to Barcelona in both LaLiga and the Copa del Rey. Furthermore, they faced elimination from the Champions League at the hands of Arsenal and were defeated by Paris Saint-Germain in the Club World Cup semifinals.

Ahead of their first match following the Christmas break, the team hosted an open training session for fans at Valdebebas. A trophy opportunity awaits in January with the Spanish Supercopa scheduled to be held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

“Let’s hope for trophies,” Bellingham remarked during an interview with Real Madrid TV when discussing his hopes for the new year. “The fans deserve it. 2025 was a bit poor. So in the new year, we want trophies.”

Bellingham, who underwent shoulder surgery last summer following the Club World Cup, made his LaLiga debut late in September. So far this season, he has netted four goals and provided three assists in the league, along with one goal and an assist in the Champions League.

Under coach Xabi Alonso, Madrid started the season strongly, winning 13 of their first 14 fixtures. However, a string of three draws and three defeats raised questions about Alonso’s position. The situation saw improvement with three consecutive victories prior to Christmas against Alavés, Talavera de la Reina, and Sevilla.

Despite this recent resurgence, Alonso’s role remains under scrutiny as the team prepares for their LaLiga match against Real Betis on Sunday, followed by a Supercopa semifinal clash with Atletico Madrid in Jeddah next week.