Football and cricket have always been Britain’s two great sporting loves. On April 22, 2026, they officially shared an owner – Jude Bellingham.
In one of the most unexpected crossovers in recent sports history, Real Madrid and England star Jude Bellingham has acquired a 1.2% minority stake in The Hundred’s Birmingham Phoenix franchise — a deal completed on April 22, 2026, valued at approximately £1 million (₹12.65 crore).
This isn’t a vanity purchase. It’s a homecoming.
The Deal at a Glance
The Birmingham Phoenix franchise is valued at close to £82 million (₹902 crore). Here’s who owns what after Bellingham’s entry:
| Stakeholder | Ownership % |
|---|---|
| Warwickshire County Cricket Club | 50.4% |
| Knighthead Capital Management | 48.4% |
| Jude Bellingham | 1.2% |
Bellingham acquired 0.6% from each party — Warwickshire retaining their controlling stake at just over 50%. Meanwhile, The Hundred is itself in the middle of a major transformation, having sold four of its eight franchises to IPL team owners, making it one of the most globally invested T20 competitions on the planet.
More Than Just Money — It’s Personal
Bellingham grew up in the Midlands, started his football career with Birmingham City, and the Phoenix play out of Edgbaston — essentially home territory. He even played cricket in his younger days, turning out for Hagley Cricket Club in Worcestershire. This isn’t a stranger dipping a toe into an unfamiliar sport.
In his own words, Bellingham kept it beautifully simple:
“I love Birmingham. I love cricket as well, so when I got the opportunity to get involved I didn’t really think twice about it.”
He also revealed that if he could swap careers with any athlete, it would be England Test captain Ben Stokes — underlining just how deep his cricketing passion runs.
The Bigger Picture: Sports Crossing Over
Cross-sport investments are becoming increasingly common, with athletes no longer limiting their business decisions to their own disciplines. Bellingham — who earns close to ₹19 crore per month at Real Madrid — joins a growing wave of global sports stars treating cricket franchises as serious investment assets. Think of it as the IPL effect going truly global.
For cricket fans in India, this is significant. The more global names attach themselves to franchise cricket, the stronger the ecosystem becomes — and that’s great news for cricket’s continued growth worldwide.
Birmingham Phoenix Squad — The Hundred 2026
| Category | Key Players |
|---|---|
| Core Signings | Jacob Bethell, Rehan Ahmed, Mitchell Owen |
| Auction Buys | Mustafizur Rahman, Saqib Mahmood, Will Smeed |
With talent like Jacob Bethell — one of England’s most exciting young cricketers — already in the setup, the Phoenix are a franchise worth watching well beyond Bellingham’s name.
The boundaries between sports, business, and fandom are blurring faster than ever. Bellingham’s stake in Birmingham Phoenix is a symbol of that shift — and a reminder that the best athletes don’t just play the game. They invest in its future.
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