Jude Bellingham sustains left hamstring issue in Real Madrid vs. Rayo Vallecano – The Athletic
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Feb. 1, 2026Updated 8:49 am EST
Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham looks set for a spell on the sidelines after suffering a hamstring injury early in Sunday’s La Liga game at home to Rayo Vallecano at the Bernabeu.
Only nine minutes into the game, Bellingham ran forward onto a pass from Franco Mastantuono but pulled up mid-sprint holding his hand to the back of his upper left thigh.
Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa immediately called Brahim Diaz from the bench to enter as a replacement. Bellingham was able to get to his feet and walk around the pitch to the bench, but was in clear pain, holding his hand over his face in various moments.
The injury comes at a difficult moment for both Bellingham and Madrid — with the England international among those who were whistled by a Bernabeu crowd still upset after recent poor displays including Wednesday’s 4-2 Champions League group defeat at Benfica.
Madrid confirmed a hamstring injury, while saying tests would be required to discover the extent of the problem. Bellingham looks set for a couple of weeks on the sidelines but an extended period out could disrupt the England international’s run-up to the World Cup in the United States this summer.
On Sunday, his teammates did not appear to miss him too badly, with Vinicius Jr scoring a superb solo goal to put his team 1-0 on 15 minutes.
Next up for Madrid — who sit second in the La Liga standings behind Barcelona — are domestic league games at Valencia and at home to Real Sociedad.
Arbeloa would especially want to have Bellingham back fit for the Champions League play-off games against Benfica — the first leg is in Lisbon on Tuesday February 17 and the return at the Bernabeu the following Wednesday.
Personally for Bellingham the injury is likely to cause frustration, given how he had been looking to return to his best form and win over his critics among the Madrid fanbase, who appear to hold him partly responsible for the team’s poor performances under previous coach Xabi Alonso.
Bellingham’s previous appearance at the Bernabeu had been the 6-1 Champions League group stage win over Monaco, where he had celebrated a goal (his only strike in nine club games in 2026) with a ‘drinking’ message to the crowd responding to social media rumours about his personal life.
