Bellingham's 'Drink-Drink' Celebration Was Intended to Silence Critics

Jude Bellingham has a new celebration to silence critics (Instagram/@judebellingham).

JAKARTA - Jude Bellingham described his goal celebration with a "drink-drink" move after scoring in Real Madrid's 6-1 win over AS Monaco on Wednesday, January 21, 2026 as a bit of a joke aimed at speculation about his off-field behavior.

The England midfielder scored Los Blancos' sixth goal in a Champions League victory at the Santiago Bernabeu, after just a few days earlier he had been booed by fans at the stadium for his role in the team's recent struggles.

He celebrated his goal by laughing, repeatedly raising his hands to his mouth, and then said the gesture was aimed at inaccurate reports about his personal life.

"A lot of people say a lot of things. There are two ways to respond to it, you can cry and complain, or send a lawyer, or you can accept it and enjoy it."

"It's a bit of a joke for the fans and people to say whatever they want. I know the truth."

"I know what's really going on in my personal life. I know what I give to the game and the team."

"All the noise from outside is actually not too important, but it's also fun to joke a little," Bellingham told TNT Sports.

Last week, Bellingham denied media reports that he was one of the players who was not convinced by Xabi Alonso's methods, before the coach was sacked and replaced by Alvaro Arbeloa.

"Don't believe everything you read," Bellingham wrote on his JB5 app.

The midfielder was one of the players booed by fans at the Bernabeu during Real Madrid's 2-0 win over Levante in LaLiga on Saturday, January 17, 2026.

"The fans pay for tickets, work all week, save up to come to a Real Madrid game and support us. They have the right to say whatever they want."

"I think it doesn't always help the team or the individual. Speaking from experience now, I know it's not the most pleasant thing in the world, but they are entitled to their opinions," said Bellingham.

Despite the controversy, Arbeloa praised Bellingham's hard work in the win over Monaco, which saw Real Madrid collect 15 points from seven Champions League games.

"Today (against Monaco) I saw the Bernabeu supporting Vinicius (Junior), Kylian (Mbappe), Jude, all of them. They made an incredible effort."

"Bellingham's run is not like usual. That effort made me very happy. That's what we need, a committed team. It was a great night for everyone," said Arbeloa.