Jude Bellingham Takes a Shot at Cristian Romero with Messi Mention in Madrid Derby
During the heated Madrid derby, Jude Bellingham directed a sharp comment at Cristian Romero, bringing up Lionel Messi in the process. The clash between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid ended 2-1 in favor of Diego Simeone's side but was filled with controversy.
After the match, Real Madrid’s coach Jose Mourinho criticized the referees for multiple mistakes. Bellingham echoed those complaints on the pitch, visibly frustrated. Spanish referee Miguel Angel Ortiz Arias had sent off Dean Huijsen and awarded Atletico a penalty converted by Alejandro Grimaldo, while Jonathan David added a second goal in the second half. Real Madrid managed a late goal through Antonio Rudiger but left angry and empty-handed.
Bellingham's Confrontation and Messi Reference
Tensions boiled over after Bellingham was booked for a foul on Romero, a decision later changed by VAR to give Romero a yellow card instead. Real Madrid believed Romero’s tackle deserved a red card, similar to another incident where Kang-in Lee avoided dismissal despite a dangerous challenge on Federico Valverde, who may now miss months of action.
Bellingham approached Romero after the match, delivering an 11-word jab that referenced Messi: "When you’re with [Lionel] Messi, you talk a lot. But here, nothing." The exchange, captured on video, quickly spread online. Bellingham reportedly called Romero a 'coward,' to which Romero replied by calling the Englishman a 'cry baby' and reminded him about Argentina’s World Cup semi-final win over England.
After full time, Bellingham shouted about the need for "two red cards," reflecting Real’s frustration. The club has since demanded La Liga president Javier Tebas resign following his comments dismissing claims of referee bias against Real Madrid.
The Messi-Bellingham World Cup Moment
A memorable moment from the recent World Cup featured Bellingham and Messi exchanging words during England’s loss to Argentina. Many saw this as a spark that motivated Messi’s team comeback. In the clip, Messi nods sarcastically at Bellingham’s remarks, though the Real midfielder downplayed the incident, explaining via AS:
"We were really just discussing a foul, actually. It wasn't anything bad... I thought there had been a foul earlier, and he said, 'What about the one on me?' And I said, 'You're strong enough to take it,' you know what I mean?"
Bellingham had one of the finest individual performances by an England player at that tournament and has continued his strong form with Real Madrid this season, scoring three goals and assisting three in eight appearances.
Standings After the Derby
The loss leaves Mourinho’s squad trailing in La Liga. Before the international break, they sat fourth in the table, six points behind leaders Barcelona and one point behind Atletico Madrid.
- Barcelona: 1st place, leading the table
- Atletico Madrid: 3rd place, one point ahead of Real Madrid
- Real Madrid: 4th place, six points behind Barcelona
