Bellingham: from daisy chains to World Cup stardom

Jude Bellingham has become the breakout star of the 2026 World Cup, leading England to the semifinals with six goals in the tournament, including braces against Mexico and Norway Source: hoydo. Yet the 23-year-old Real Madrid midfielder recently revealed that as a child, he had little interest in football, preferring to pick flowers and make daisy chains for his mother during his father's training sessions Source: abc.es.

Childhood and family

Bellingham grew up in Stourbridge, near Birmingham, the son of Mark Bellingham, a former police sergeant and amateur footballer, and Denise Bellingham, an HR professional who later moved with him to Germany when he joined Borussia Dortmund at age 17 Source: excelsiormx. In a 2023 interview with L'Équipe, Bellingham admitted, "I didn't like football. It's crazy, I know. If someone took football away from me now, I'd go mad" Source: elespanol. His parents never pressured him, allowing him to discover his passion on his own terms.

World Cup heroics

Bellingham's performances in the 2026 World Cup have drawn comparisons to legends like Pelé and Maradona. He scored two goals in two minutes against Mexico in the round of 16, and netted the winner against Norway in extra time during the quarterfinals Source: heraldomx. His six goals so far have made him the tournament's top scorer, and he is the first player since Maradona in 1986 to score doubles in consecutive knockout matches Source: hoydo.

Off-field life

Off the pitch, Bellingham is in a relationship with American influencer Ashlyn Castro, 28, whom he reportedly met through the Raya dating app Source: lavanguardia. Castro, a model with over 700,000 Instagram followers, has been seen in the stands supporting England alongside Bellingham's parents Source: diariolibree. The couple keeps their relationship private but has been together since late 2024 Source: clarin.