Jude Bellingham has been branded “Mr big time” and roasted by several England fans for swapping shirts at the half-time interval of the Three Lions’ 2026 World Cup qualifier with Albania. The Real Madrid midfielder was returned to Thomas Tuchel’s starting XI for that contest and attracted plenty of attention – including some from opponents that were eager to claim a prized memento.
Bellingham recalled to England squad by Tuchel
Bellingham was left out of England’s plans in October, as he continued his recovery from summer shoulder surgery, with more questions being asked of his attitude and character as Tuchel attempts to piece together a harmonious group that will be capable of competing for World Cup glory next summer.
The former Chelsea and Bayern Munich boss recalled Bellingham for meetings with Serbia and Albania. He was named among the substitutes for the first of those fixtures, but was included from the off in the second. He did not make it back to the dressing room with the shirt that he started said contest in.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportFans react to Bellingham swapping shirts at half-time
That is because the 22-year-old traded jerseys with Inter-owned defender Kristjan Asllani when making his way off the field. Questions have been asked of why Bellingham agreed to that request, in the middle of a competitive fixture, and why he made the trade in the public eye – rather than waiting until the cover of the tunnel had been reached.
@TCrossland55 was among those left perplexed by Bellingham’s behaviour, posting on social media: “Honestly f*cking can’t stand Bellingham in this England team honestly. Absolute Mr big time swapping shirts at half time, throwing his arms around when he doesn’t get the ball, slowing the game down continuously.” @BJRoute66 added: “Bellingham swapping shirts at half-time???? WTF do it at full time! Stop this nonsense!”
@RickOShea54321 went on to say: “Bellingham swapping shirts with an Albanian player, to act as a distraction from how sh*t England were, in the first half. I see what you're doing there, Jude.” @Bluemoonie4 chimed in with: “Bellingham is nowhere near as good as he thinks he is.”
Ex-Manchester United star Roy Keane was helping to cover the England game for ITV. He was not asked about the shirt swap on screen, but said back in 2016 after seeing then Chelsea winger Eden Hazard trade jerseys with Angel Di Maria at the half-time break of a Champions League clash with Paris Saint-Germain: “I’m afraid to comment on this. It’s bad enough at the end of the game, but half-time in a big game, the two guys swapping shirts? It’s shocking. What is going through a player’s mindset? In such a big game, they are thinking about swapping jerseys at half-time! I wouldn’t even bother at the end of the game. Shocking.”
Character questions: Bellingham defended by ex-England star
While Keane is not a fan of the antics that Bellingham has indulged in, former England midfielder Danny Murphy believes any questions of the Real Madrid star’s character are wide of the mark.
He told GOAL recently: “I find the narrative around his character and any problems a little bit strange because when I have watched England – I have watched them a lot at tournaments and watched him closely, he is, by far, the best character on the football pitch when England play, in terms of producing big moments, grabbing the game by the scruff of the neck, leaving everything out there.
“If you could have 11 Jude Bellinghams, you would win most tournaments. The element of not talking to the press or not doing interviews or the odd swear word or rant or a little bit of what some people would call arrogance, that is what creates the player on the pitch. They are just rumours because a lot of the feedback from the players – Jordan Henderson recently said how much he likes him and how great a character he is – I think some of it has been exaggerated.
“From a footballing perspective, we have a much better chance of winning the World Cup if he is in the team. I don’t mean just in the squad, I mean in the team. He is a phenomenal talent. We should be – as pundits, fans, press – building him up, applauding him and being thankful that we have got him, not trying to pull him down because he is the best one we have got. He is the game-changer in our side. He is the one that can make things happen. He’s just a phenomenal player.”
GettyShirt requests: Bellingham in same group as Messi & Ronaldo
Bellingham is expected to play an important part in England’s plans at the 2026 World Cup. He helped them to the European Championship final in 2024 and will be determined to add international honours to his medal collection – with there little that he can do about being a target for shirt swap requests.
The likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have had to contend with those in-game scrambles from rivals down the years, with the Argentine GOAT giving his No.10 jersey away during the half-time break of his nation’s latest friendly outing against Angola.