Jude Bellingham Omitted Real Madrid Calendar in a shocking twist, despite being a marketing staple last year

The exclusion comes amid questions over the English star’s fitness, form, and future under Xabi Alonso.
Jude Bellingham’s challenging season at Real Madrid has taken a surprising and symbolic twist: the England midfielder has been excluded from the club’s official 2026 calendar.

Once the unquestioned face of Los Blancos’ marketing efforts, the Bellingham Omitted Real Madrid Calendar news has raised eyebrows across the football world. Just a year ago, the 22-year-old was featured prominently on the cover of the 2025 edition.

A Symbol of Shifting Status
The decision to exclude Bellingham from the 2026 calendar, which instead highlights emerging talents like Arda Guler and Dean Huijsen, alongside club veterans, is a significant marketing move that underscores a perceived shift in his status at the Bernabéu.

The omission comes amid growing uncertainty surrounding the midfield star:

Fitness and Form: Bellingham recently returned from shoulder surgery. Since his comeback in September, he has started just one of Real’s last three matches, raising questions about his match sharpness.

Managerial Uncertainty: Under new manager Xabi Alonso, Bellingham’s once-guaranteed starting spot is now in jeopardy as the manager relies on in-form alternatives.

England Snub: The star was recently left out of Thomas Tuchel’s latest England squad, with the coach citing a “lack of rhythm” and incomplete fitness as the reason.

The combination of club uncertainty and the international snub has created an unfamiliar spell of doubt for a player who, just months ago, was deemed irreplaceable.

Alexander-Arnold Also Excluded
Adding another layer to the story, Bellingham’s fellow England international, Trent Alexander-Arnold, who joined Real Madrid in the summer, is also missing from the 2026 calendar lineup. Alexander-Arnold has endured a stop-start beginning to his Spanish career, immediately suffering a severe hamstring injury just minutes into his Champions League debut.

For Bellingham, the immediate focus is clear: regain full fitness, reclaim his starting position at Real Madrid, and quickly restore the consistent, world-class form that made him the club’s poster boy just last year.