The trend of calling the 2003-born England national team midfielder "husband" surged on US social media platforms from early july. This phenomenon began when a spectator in New York posted a video of Bellingham scoring the equalizer against Norway, accompanied by the caption: "It's awkward. I'm standing next to my boyfriend, and my husband just scored a goal".
Searches for Bellingham skyrocketed since the England team arrived in the US on 1/6. The player gained one million followers within 24 hours after two group stage matches. His name entered the top 30 trending keywords on US TikTok. Many Google users repeatedly typed the phrase "is Jude Bellingham my husband".
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Jude Bellingham after the 2-1 loss to Argentina in the 2026 World Cup semi-final at the Atlanta stadium, US, on 15/7. Photo: AP |
Jude Bellingham after the 2-1 loss to Argentina in the 2026 World Cup semi-final at the Atlanta stadium, US, on 15/7. Photo: AP
According to experts, Bellingham possesses a toned physique and a chiseled face. During matches, moments of him pulling up his jersey to show his physique or expressing emotions through his eyes frequently went viral on television and social media. The number 10 midfielder also represented the Skims advertising campaign and Louis Vuitton's summer collection last year.
Bellingham attracted a large US audience with his football skills. The crowd in the stadium chanted "Hey Jude" in unison when he scored his 6th goal in this year's tournament.
The England midfielder's presence increased due to social media algorithms. World Cup players have large followings. Female Gen Z audiences consume high-performance sports content at an increasing rate. This trend creates a competitive environment on the TikTok platform.
Beyond his appearance and football skills, female audiences also noticed the 23-year-old midfielder's actions off the field. He impressed viewers with videos of him holding children, giving his jacket to a fan in a wheelchair, and communicating in spanish.
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Jude Bellingham attracts the attention of US female audiences due to his appearance, football skills, and friendly demeanor. Photo: CQ |
Jude Bellingham attracts the attention of US female audiences due to his appearance, football skills, and friendly demeanor. Photo: CQ
Lisa, 34 years old, from New York, learned about Bellingham after the match against Mexico in the round of 16. She recounted: "I recognized this player's composure and attitude after watching the clip of him giving his jersey to Mexican midfielder Gilberto Mora. I wanted to learn about everything from his training attitude to how he sings 'Sweet Caroline'".
Caroline, 27 years old, stated that Bellingham's demeanor motivated her to follow football.
Journalist Calum Jacobs commented in the Guardian: "Bellingham maintains mental stability, which sets him apart from many English players competing abroad".
Experts have not predicted the level of US audience interest in Bellingham after the World Cup concludes. Nevertheless, many women in the country have planned to follow his club-level tournaments.
"I will continue to cheer for him as a friend", a 22-year-old female fan in the US said.
Minh Phuong (According to CQ)
