Jude Bellingham will not occupy a non-EU spot

Real Madrid’s new British signing Jude Bellingham has been one of the revelations of the pre-season, though there has been some confusion and concern about whether or not his place in the team would occupy a non-EU spot.

However, according to a report today in Marca today, the 20-year-old will not occupy a EU spot in Real Madrid.

The reason is that Bellingham has applied for an Irish passport which he is eligible for because of his father.

According to Marca’s report, Real Madrid are waiting on official documentation from the Irish Embassy, and the rest is considered a ‘formality’. Once Bellingham receives confirmation, he’ll have access to the EU without restrictions.

This means that Bellingham will not count as a foreign European player in Real Madrid’s squad.

Although it’s true that Bellingham’s non-EU status wasn’t too worrisome (all of Fede Valverde, Eder Militao, Vinicius Jr, and Rodrygo Goes have now obtained Spanish citizenship), it does free Real Madrid’s hand in case they want to make more signings from outside of the continent in the near future. Currently, the only non-EU player Real Madrid own is Reinier Jesus, but he is not in next season’s squad.