Jude Bellingham: Mourinho’s sock story and his decision to enjoy the 2026 World Cup

Jude Bellingham says the pressure of last season left him feeling drained and highly stressed, prompting him to seek help, while describing the 2026 World Cup with England as possibly the best experience of his career.

The Real Madrid midfielder discussed his life and career in an interview with British Vogue, including a story Jose Mourinho told him about a young player copying his habit of cutting holes in the backs of his socks.

Mourinho’s story about the socks

As reported by Spanish newspaper Marca, Bellingham said Mourinho recalled seeing a child at training while he was working with Roma. The boy had cut three holes in the back of his socks, copying a distinctive feature of the Real Madrid player.

“Mourinho told me: ‘When I was managing Roma a few years ago, I saw one of the kids at training had cut three holes in the back of his socks. I went over to him and asked, “Why are you doing that?” He replied, “Bellingham does it. It relieves pressure on the calf muscle,”’” Bellingham said.

“He said to him: ‘Mate, you’re nine years old. You don’t have a calf muscle that needs relieving pressure from.’”

Asked what he liked most about living in Madrid, Bellingham gave a brief answer: “Playing for Real Madrid.”

He also praised the Spanish capital’s atmosphere, colours and weather, saying: “Even when it rains in Madrid, it’s more, I don’t know… elegant?”

Bellingham said his profile means he has to plan even simple activities, such as going out for coffee. He often chooses places on the outskirts of the city, away from busy areas.

“You’re always going to be known, but you feel safer and you don’t get overwhelmed,” he said. However, he added that he still makes time for supporters, particularly children.

“If they get a picture with me, they’ll be so happy, and it takes five seconds of my time.”

Learning Spanish and enjoying the World Cup

Bellingham said he spent five months learning Spanish after moving to Madrid in 2023 because he did not want his communication to be limited to “hello” and “thank you”.

“I think a big part of it is having enough confidence to start speaking,” he said. “You know you’re going to make mistakes and it might not be perfect, but if people understand what you mean, they’ll probably say, ‘Well done for trying.’”

He described England’s 2026 World Cup campaign as “perhaps the best experience I’ve ever had”, praising the football, being in the United States and the travelling England supporters who sang “Wonderwall”.

Bellingham said he deliberately chose to enjoy the tournament rather than focus solely on pressure and results.

“During it, I made a conscious decision to enjoy it. That doesn’t happen often. It’s rare,” he said.

Seeking help with pressure

Reflecting on last season, Bellingham said the demands of football affected his mental state.

“There were times last season when I felt the pressure was draining me and making me extremely stressed,” he said.

“I started speaking to someone who helped me a lot with that, and with how to deal with those things.”

He added that it remained difficult to switch off from football, even after matches and intense periods of work.

“When I get home after playing four games in 14 days, all I want is to recover for long enough to be able to go to bed when it’s over,” he said.

Bellingham also recalled receiving support from former Real Madrid and England player David Beckham during Euro 2024, when England’s early performances were heavily criticised and rumours circulated about the mood in the dressing room.

“Sometimes the value isn’t in the message itself, but in the person delivering it,” he said. “You have someone beside you who completely understands what is going on.”

Away from football, Bellingham said he wants to be remembered simply as “a gentleman”.