Jude Bellingham has given his all for Real Madrid. For months he has played with a dislocated left shoulder, enduring the pain in silence for both club and England. However, the 2025 Club World Cup will be his last battle before undergoing surgery. The sacrifice has been constant, but the midfielder can't take it anymore: after the tournament, he will undergo an operation that will keep him away from the field for three months.

Playing through pain: the routine of a precocious leader

At just 22 years of age, Bellingham has become one of the leaders in the white dressing room. He has played 100 games in pain since the injury suffered on November 5, 2023 against Rayo Vallecano, when a bad fall caused him to dislocate his shoulder. Although he was treated and returned to play, the problem never fully resolved. Since then, he has lived with a compressive bandage that limits his mobility and causes him constant discomfort, especially in the heat and humidity.

“There is a point where the pain is no longer so much...”, he confessed after receiving the Man of the Match award in the 3-1 win over Pachuca in Charlotte. That day, he played 84 minutes despite Madrid playing with one less player. One more effort to add to his extensive record of sacrifices for the club.

Operation imminent and three months out of action

Bellingham has confirmed that the operation will be immediate after the Club World Cup. "I have surgery scheduled for after the tournament, hopefully after the final. I've waited a long time and I'm running out of patience," he said after the match against the Mexicans. “I want to feel free again,” added the Englishman, who thanked the doctors and physiotherapists for their work throughout the process.

Medical estimates indicate that the midfielder will miss between nine and ten games, including the start of LaLiga and the first two rounds of the Champions League. He would also miss the first two national team breaks: September 1-9 and October 6-14. He is expected to return in mid-October, coinciding with the resumption of the competition after the second break.

599 days of pain, 100 games of dedication

Since that fateful collision with Isi Palazón in November 2023, 599 days have passed. During that time, Bellingham has played 83 games for Real Madrid and 17 for England, all with shoulder discomfort. The pain, persistent, has become a constant shadow on his brilliant career, which has included decisive goals, titles and a rapid consolidation as a Madrid idol.

Despite the physical toll, Bellingham has held nothing back. He has even decided to sacrifice his vacations to undergo surgery and face the rehabilitation process as soon as possible. He will spend the summer with his arm in a sling, but he is convinced that the effort is worth it: “I'd rather have a headache... than continue with this pain in my shoulder”.

A birthday between goals, glory and surgery

This June 29, Jude Bellingham celebrates his 22nd birthday in Palm Beach. He does so as one of the most decisive players in the world, having played a crucial role in the white season and bravely facing a physical problem that would have slowed down many others. His last mission in this Club World Cup is, once again, to give his all. Then comes surgery, rest... and the reconstruction of a shoulder that can't take it anymore.