• [Daily Mirror Icon]
• Sport
• Football
• Jude Bellingham

Jude Bellingham shows true colours as England hero sent on Barcelona 'spying mission'

Jude Bellingham appeared at a Barcelona pre-season game

[Jude Bellingham, England International and former Birmingham City player, acknowledges the fans as he takes his seat during the during the pre-season friendly match between Birmingham City and FC Barcelona at St Andrews at Knighthead Park on July 31, 2026 in Birmingham, England.]

View 2 Images

Jude Bellingham watched his former club Birmingham take on Barcelona(Image: Getty Images)

Jude Bellingham changed his outfit midway through his former club Birmingham City's pre-season friendly clash with Barcelona. The Real Madrid sensation took the opportunity to observe his bitter rivals Barca ahead of the new season, where the two Spanish giants are expected to go toe-to-toe for the La Liga crown once more.

Bellingham returned to his boyhood club Birmingham on Friday in his first public appearance since returning to the UK from his holiday in Hawaii. The trip came after his heroics for England at the World Cup, where his seven goals launched him into an entirely new stratosphere.

The Three Lions superstar was spotted in attendance at St. Andrews alongside his parents Denise and Mark. His appearance in the stands didnt go unnoticed as he was cheered and given a rousing ovation by the home crowd.

FOLLOW OUR REAL MADRID FB PAGE! Latest news and more on our dedicated Facebook page

Bellingham was seen celebrating both of Birmingham's goals in the entertaining 2-2 draw and he even stayed for the penalty shootout, which Chris Davies side won.

Upon his arrival, the 23-year-old wore a plain white top before slipping into the new Birmingham jersey at half-time. His touching gesture clearly endeared himself further to the Blues fans.

Bellingham made his senior debut for Birmingham as a 16-year-old and quickly established himself as one of the brightest young talents in English football. His rapid development earned him a move to Borussia Dortmund, where he became one of Europe's top midfielders before joining Real Madrid in the summer of 2023.

[Jude Bellingham in the stands wearing a Birmingham City shirt during the during the pre-season friendly match between Birmingham City and FC Barcelona at St Andrew's at Knighthead Park on July 31, 2026 in Birmingham, England. ]

View 2 Images

He changed into a Birmingham shirt in a heart-warming moment at St Andrew's(Image: Offside via Getty Images)

His move helped the Blues at a time of financial difficulty, and they retired the No.22 shirt for his services to the club, despite him being a mere teenager at the time. His appearance on Friday wouldn't have only pleased Birmingham supporters, however.

His new Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho would have also been delighted to see him observing rivals Barcelona, given he can now report back to the Portuguese head coach with a fresh report on the Catalans.

Barca were missing the bulk of their squad on Friday due to the World Cup, with coach Hansi Flick forced to name an inexperienced side after a week of training at St. George's Park.

The Catalans were without all eight of their Spain internationals who lifted the trophy in North America this summer. Anthony Gordon, Jules Kounde and Raphinha did not feature, either, although there was a debut for summer signing Karim Adeyemi.

Countdown to Kickoff: The Essential 26/27 Sky Sports Bundle

This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more

[Content Image]

51

35

Sky

Get the deal here

Product Description

Sky's Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle includes at least 215 live Premier League clashes across the 2026/27 season, with more than 1,500 games from the EFL and beyond, plus F1, golf and darts.

This introductory offer saves 384 compared to the standard price, with every package also providing 100 regular channels alongside free Netflix and discovery+ subscriptions.

[Daily Mirror Icon]

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Choose Daily Mirror as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.