Jude Bellingham has labeled Rodrygo as the “most gifted player” at Real Madrid, despite the spotlight being on Kylian Mbappe following the club’s dominant Champions League victory over Manchester City.
Real Madrid secured their place in the quarter-finals with an emphatic 6-3 aggregate win, dismantling Pep Guardiola’s side with ease.
While the reigning champions had an underwhelming group stage finishing outside the automatic qualification spots they looked back to their best against City.
Mbappe stole the show with a stunning hat-trick, and Bellingham was full of praise for his superstar teammate. “Kylian is unbelievable,” he told CBS Sports.
“The pressure on him at the start of the season was immense, but once he got going, he became unstoppable. Defenders fear him because he can change the game in an instant.”
However, when asked about the most naturally gifted player in Madrid’s squad, Bellingham chose Rodrygo. “Rodrygo is so underrated. For me, he’s probably the most talented player here.
The things he can do with a football… Sometimes in training, he pulls off moves that leave us all speechless,” Bellingham revealed.
The England international also praised Rodrygo’s selflessness. “His preferred position is on the left, but he sacrifices a lot by playing on the right and never complains. He just gets on with it, and that speaks volumes about his character.”
Rodrygo has been a crucial part of Madrid’s squad since arriving from Santos in 2019, making over 250 appearances for Los Blancos.
Despite often playing a supporting role, his technical ability and versatility continue to earn admiration from his teammates.
Madrid’s head coach, Carlo Ancelotti, was delighted with the team’s performance against City. “This was a complete display attack, defense, quality on and off the ball. We created so many chances. Almost the perfect night,” he said.
Meanwhile, Player of the Match Mbappe echoed that sentiment: “This was the perfect night. We knew we had to win, and we delivered a great performance against a tough City side.”
Real Madrid will now prepare for their last-16 clash against either Atletico Madrid or Bayer Leverkusen as they continue their quest for European glory.