‘I Owe the City!’ Jude Bellingham Buys Stake in Birmingham Phoenix as Cricket Move Shocks Football
Real Madrid and England superstar Jude Bellingham has made a surprise move into the business side of professional sport, becoming a minority shareholder in cricket’s Hundred franchise Birmingham Phoenix.
The 22 year old midfielder, still a hero in the West Midlands after his breakout years at Birmingham City, has taken a 1.2 per cent equity stake in the cricket team based at Edgbaston. It is a small percentage. But the symbolism is massive.
Bellingham is coming home. Not to play. To invest.
‘I didn’t really think twice’
The England international, who famously had his number 22 shirt retired by Birmingham City before moving to Borussia Dortmund and later Real Madrid, will focus on community engagement and social responsibility projects. His goal? Use his global profile to increase sports participation across the West Midlands.
“I feel like I owe the city something,” Bellingham told Warwickshire CCC. “And this feels like a good way. When I got the opportunity to get involved, I didn’t really think twice about it and I’m so happy to be on board.”
That is genuine. That is not a PR line.
Tom Brady connection
The investment sees Bellingham align with some familiar faces. Warwickshire County Cricket Club retains a majority 50.4 per cent controlling stake. The remaining 48.4 per cent is held by Knighthead Capital Management, the owners of Birmingham City.
That puts Bellingham in the same boardroom circles as NFL legend Tom Brady, who is a minority investor in the football club’s parent company. Two sporting icons. One city. Different sports. Same ambition.
Reflecting on his upbringing, Bellingham spoke of his deep affection for his first club.
“For me, Birmingham City are the best team I could have ever come through at and the best team I could have supported,” he said. “I got the best upbringing into football, into life there.”
He added that everyone in the city “cares for one another really well.”
‘Cricket is my favourite sport to watch outside football’
Despite being one of the best footballers on the planet, Bellingham revealed that cricket has always been a significant part of his life. He grew up playing it. He still watches it.
“We’re a competitive pair of lads. Pretty much everything we did ended in scraps and tears, whether it was Monopoly, or football and cricket,” he admitted, recalling his childhood with brother Jobe.
“Cricket is probably my favourite thing to watch outside football. My favourite sport to watch, for sure. I enjoy the Test matches the most, when I can watch it throughout the whole day.
“There is a certain class and elegance to so many of the things: the toss, for example, and how the captains come out in their blazers and their caps on.”
That is not a soundbite. That is a genuine fan speaking.
The Hundred’s new era
Bellingham’s entry into cricket comes during a massive financial restructuring of the 100 ball a side tournament. The league has seen over £520m in private investment ahead of 2026. Teams like Manchester Super Giants and MI London have entered the fray as part of a global expansion.
For Bellingham, the move is less about the finances and more about representing his home on the world stage.
“It’s a huge honour to represent Birmingham on the world stage,” he said. “And it’s something that I don’t take lightly. I want to keep doing it in the right way, so that my people back home are proud of me.”
The bottom line
Jude Bellingham is already a legend in Birmingham. Now he is putting his money where his mouth is.
A 1.2 per cent stake in a cricket franchise is not going to make or break his bank balance. But the message is clear: he has not forgotten where he came from.
Football. Cricket. Community. Bellingham is building something bigger than just a playing career.
And the people back home? They could not be prouder.