Bellingham's No. 5 vs. Zidane's: a tribute that began as an accident
Jude Bellingham chose Real Madrid's No. 5 to honour Zinedine Zidane. Zidane, it turns out, got it because the club president disliked big numbers.
Real Madrid's No. 5 has belonged to two midfielders who arrived as the most talked-about signings in the sport, and only one of them picked it on purpose. Jude Bellingham chose it in June 2023 as a tribute. Zinedine Zidane, by his own account, ended up with it because the club president did not like big numbers. I find that gap delightful. One of the most famous homages in modern football points back to a bit of dressing-room housekeeping.
First, why he couldn't keep the 22
Bellingham wore No. 22 at Birmingham City and Borussia Dortmund, and the number was a small piece of football arithmetic. According to Goal, Birmingham's academy staff told him at about 13 or 14, when he wanted to be a No. 10, that he could play the roles of a 4, an 8 and a 10. Add them up. Twenty-two. The academy's Mike Dodds recalled that his eyes lit up. It is exactly the kind of sum a football-mad teenager never forgets, because it turns a squad number into a job description.
Birmingham retired the shirt when he left in 2020, Sky Sports reported. At Madrid the 22 was already taken by Antonio Rüdiger, Goal notes, so he needed something new.
Bellingham's No. 5: chosen, and handed over
The 5 was not free either. The defender Jesús Vallejo had it, and he later told reporters he would be delighted to give it up, adding that Bellingham sent him a long, emotional private message in English to say thanks, as Sports Illustrated reported. It's a small courtesy. I like him more for it.
I really admire Zidane and the legacy he has at this club with the No. 5. It's a number that inspires me.
He was careful about it, too. At the same presentation he said he was not trying to be the same as Zidane, just trying to be Jude, and called the choice a homage, per Fox News.
Zidane's No. 5: a president's preference
Now the other half. In November 2023, sitting with Lionel Messi at an Adidas event, Zidane explained how he got the number, as 90min reported. He admitted a central midfielder in the 5 was a bit strange. The reason was Florentino Pérez, who did not want players wearing 25 or 30 and offered him a number between 1 and 10. The 5 was the one available. Low numbers, in other words, were a house rule at the Bernabéu rather than a romantic gesture, and the most elegant midfielder of his generation simply took what was on the rail.
What he did in it needs no help from anybody. In the 2002 Champions League final at Hampden Park in Glasgow, he met a Roberto Carlos cross with a left-foot volley, his supposedly weaker foot, and Madrid beat Bayer Leverkusen 2-1, as UEFA's licensed Champions Journal retells it. That goal is a big reason the number means anything at all.
| Zidane's No. 5 | Bellingham's No. 5 | |
|---|---|---|
| How he got it | The president wanted a low number | Chosen as a tribute; Vallejo gave it up |
| Number he really wanted | Not recorded in his account | 22, already worn by Rüdiger |
| Defining moment in it | Left-foot volley, 2002 final at Hampden Park | 19 league goals in his first season, 2023-24 |
| What it meant at the start | A practical fix | A deliberate homage |
Which story is better
For pure storytelling, I prefer Zidane's. A number picked for tidiness became one of the most admired shirts in the world because of what the man wearing it did. Bellingham's story has a different charm. He knew the history, asked for it anyway, and then scored 19 league goals in his first season, per beIN Sports. Pressure, meet midfielder.
So the short answer to why Bellingham wears 5 is Zidane. The fuller answer is that his favourite number was spoken for, a teammate was generous, and the legend he was honouring never meant to be a No. 5 in the first place. We think that makes the shirt funnier and warmer at once.
Sources
Every factual claim above traces to one of these. Links open in a new tab.
- Why does Jude Bellingham wear the No. 22 jersey?
- Jude Bellingham unveils new number with Real Madrid
- Jesus Vallejo Revealed What Jude Bellingham Said After Taking His No. 5 Jersey
- Zinedine Zidane explains to Lionel Messi why he wore number 5 for Real Madrid
- Classic final goals: Zinédine Zidane's volley in 2002
- Jude Bellingham: Birmingham retire number 22 shirt in recognition of youngster
- Bellingham voted LaLiga Player of the Season
