Jude Bellingham’s Dad, 50, Scores Seven on His England Over-50s Debut
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- Mark Bellingham, 50, scored seven goals on his debut for the England Over-50s in a 13-1 win over the Republic of Ireland, per Daily Mirror.
- Six of the goals came before half time, and he added a seventh and an assist after the break.
- The same weekend, his son Jude scored his 50th Real Madrid goal and his son Jobe was hailed man of the match for Borussia Dortmund.
From Non-League Striker to Three Lions Debutant
Mark Bellingham had retired from playing in 2019, but he came back to face the Republic of Ireland and scored seven times on his debut. The father of Real Madrid’s Jude and Borussia Dortmund’s Jobe played up front alongside player manager Steve Edkins in the England Over-50s side. He hit six goals before half time. After the restart he scored a seventh and set up another. England finished 13-1 winners.
Seven Goals and a Fan’s Verdict
It was the first time Mark had been called up to represent the Three Lions. He is the third member of the Bellingham family to pull on an England shirt, after Jude with the seniors and Jobe with the Under-21s.
The Over-50s side he joined is no ordinary veterans team. England are the reigning Seniors World Cup champions, having won their ninth title in Thailand earlier this year. England fan Claudia Murillo praised the team, including Edkins on what she described as his 100th international appearance: “Special congratulations to manager Steve Edkins on his 100th international appearance, and a spectacular debut for Mark Bellingham with those 7 goals. Brilliant result, gentlemen!”
The Striker Who Took Jude to Roots Hall
Scoring goals is nothing new to Mark. He played for 22 different clubs, among them Leamington and Bromsgrove Sporting. In the late 1990s he turned out for Cheltenham Town and Newport County. He earned the nickname the Non-League Pele along the way. Away from the pitch he worked as a West Midlands Police officer and rose to sergeant before he gave his full attention to his sons’ careers.
He also shaped how Jude fell for the game. A Southend United supporter, Mark took his older son to Roots Hall for his first live matches, and he helped set up Stourbridge Juniors, which became Jude’s first club. Jude has said in a recent interview: “We talk about footballing heroes, and my dad was like my first.”
Jude has also spoken about watching his father play in non-league football every week and how their roles changed over the years. “Growing up, he’d always give me tips on what I could do and now it gets to a certain age and it sort of flips,” Jude said.
Mark later became his sons’ agent. He negotiated Jude’s £88.5m move from Borussia Dortmund to Real Madrid in 2023 and dealt with Dortmund again when Jobe left Sunderland for Germany in 2025.
A Weekend of Milestones for the Sons
Mark’s seven goals capped a memorable weekend for the family. Jude, 23, scored in Real Madrid’s 3-0 win over Racing Santander. It was his 50th goal in all competitions for the club after he arrived as a 19-year-old in 2023. He has made 154 appearances for Real and set up 37 goals.
Jobe, 21, went close to a goal of his own for Dortmund against Bayern Munich. He thought he had scored his first goal for the club in the 2-2 draw, but Carney Chukwuemeka’s foul led to it being ruled out. Many pundits hailed him as man of the match, and he was said to have played the best game for the club so far, 15 months after he moved to Germany.
What Comes Next for the Bellinghams
For Jude, the position at England level is clear. He has become a key player under Thomas Tuchel, with 60 caps, 14 goals and 15 assists. Seven of those goals came at the World Cup in the summer, where England finished third.
Jobe signed for Dortmund from Sunderland for £27.8m last year. He is playing for the England Under-21 side and has captained it in his last 11 outings. Both brothers have previously praised their father’s support in their early careers in Birmingham, where Jude was once a Birmingham City player.
Mark has now joined a side that holds the Seniors World Cup. After a weekend that brought a Dortmund near miss and a Real Madrid milestone, the family’s biggest scoring tally belonged to the oldest striker in the house.