Arsenal legend, Ian Wright has come out to defend Real Madrid midfielder, Jude Belligham following recent criticisms about his attitude in some parts of the English media by saying the player is a ‘black superstar’ and they are not ready to embrace him, Softfootball understands.
Bellingham was replaced in the 84th minute by Morgan Rogers when England defeated Albania 2-0 in their final 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier. England qualified for the tournament by winning all their games, scoring 22 goals without conceding any.
Despite Bellingham winning the Man-of-the-Match award in against Albania, the British press focused on how the Real Madrid midfielder reacted after he was substituted and Wright wasn’t having that as he spoke on the OverLap’s official podcast. He said:
I don’t think they’re ready for a black superstar, who can move like Jude is moving. They can’t touch him.
I’m worried for Jude simply because he’s somebody that they [the media] can’t control. He’s showing people that I’m here, I’m black, I’m proud, I’m ready to go. He goes out there, he performs, he does what he does. It’s too uppity for these people. I’ll put it in football terms.
The Arsenal Icon then goes ahead to made example with France World Cup winner, N’Golo Kante, who is loved by many and always described as one of the nicest footballers in the modern era. He said:
They all love N’Golo Kante. He’s a humble black man, gets on with what he’s doing. But if you get a [Paul] Pogba, or a Bellingham, and you get that kind of energy, that does not sit well with people. So, someone like Jude, for some reason, frightens these people because of his capability and the inspiration he can give.
You’d also recall that Softfootball posted John Terry’s take on the Jude Bellingham issue and now Wright has given it a whole new perspective and meaning with his firm response to the situation as England prepare for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. A tournament they last won in 1966.
Bellingham is one of England’s biggest stars in Europe since he left Birmingham City in 2020 to join Borussia Dortmund and after a successful three-year spell, he moved to Real Madrid in a deal worth up to 133.9m euros (£115m).
Watch the video OverLap shared on their official X handle where Ian Wright was talking about the Jude Bellingham issue. Watch below.
“I don’t think they are ready for a black superstar!” 🗣️
A powerful response from @IanWright0 following Jude Bellingham’s recent criticism in the media.
Watch the full conversation now on The Overlap YouTube channel. pic.twitter.com/MbdEzxL8D3
— The Overlap (@WeAreTheOverlap) November 20, 2025Bellingham won a La Liga and Champions League double in his first year at the Bernabeu, scoring 23 times and providing 13 assists. He was part of the England team they lost in the final of the last European Championship to Spain.
