Jude Bellingham's priceless reaction seconds before Vinicius Jr sealed Champions League

Jude Bellingham had absolutely no doubts about the outcome when he passed the ball to Vinicius Junior before he made it 2-0 in the Champions League final.

Bellingham celebrated his first Champions League victory on Saturday night as Real Madrid triumphed over Borussia Dortmund 2-0 at Wembley. Second-half goals from Dani Carvajal and Vinicius secured a record 15th win for Real in the competition, but it was a hard-fought victory.

Dortmund dominated for 70 minutes and missed golden opportunities to take the lead through Karim Adeyemi and Niclas Fullkrug. But Carvajal put Real ahead with a header from a Toni Kroos corner in the 74th minute before an errant pass from Ian Maatsen gave them another chance.

Maatsen unintentionally passed to Bellingham on the edge of the penalty area, and the Englishman slipped the ball past Mats Hummels to Vinicius. The Brazilian took one touch before confidently firing the decisive goal past Gregor Kobel, sparking wild celebrations.

Vinicius’ 24th goal of the season – which determined the outcome of the final – demonstrated his lethal instinct in the box, so much so that Bellingham was seen with his arms in the air in celebration even before the shot was taken.

After the final whistle, Bellingham – in his post-match interview with TNT Sports – expressed his joy at winning his first Champions League: “I have always dreamed of playing in these games. You go through life and there are so many people saying you can’t do things and days like today remind you why…When it gets hard at times you start to wonder if it’s all worth it. Nights like tonight make it all worth it.”

The England star also spoke about the emotion of seeing his family in the stands, stating: “I was okay until I saw my mum and dad’s faces. The nights they could have been home at seven o’clock but they are still out at eleven or twelve taking me to football. My little brother there who I am trying to be a role model for too. It’s hard to put it into words. It’s the best night of my life.”

Having played 132 times for Dortmund after moving from Birmingham in 2020, Bellingham transferred to Real last summer. And he was also quick to acknowledge his former team’s performance in an interview with DAZN, saying: “I have to be honest, they were the better team in the first half. They could’ve been two or three up. But it’s just that character… [we can] come back to haunt you.

“The club I’m at now is so special to me and so is my old club. It wouldn’t be possible without them. I’ll always be grateful and always have respect for what that club did for me.”