Jude Bellingham is one of the biggest talents in world football. He holds multiple records for Borussia Dortmund at the tender age of 18.
He’s also the youngest Englishman to start a Champions League match, breaking the record previously set by Phil Foden.
He came second in the 2021 Golden Boy voting, handed out to the best player under 21 in Europe by Italian outlet Tuttosport. Bellingham clearly has his prime years ahead of him.
Here’s a list with three of the best Jude Bellingham rookie cards, along with investment advice for the next few years.
The Best Jude Bellingham Rookie Cards
Jude Bellingham RCs were released during the 2020/21 season. They were included in the majority of soccer sets produced by Topps.
3. 2020 Merlin Chrome UCL Jude Bellingham RC #JB (eBay)
We begin with the 2020-21 Topps Merlin UEFA set, featuring the best that the Champions League and Europa League have to offer.
Bellingham has a trio of rookie cards found within the collection, including an image variation of the card seen above. There are unsigned cards in the set, but we’d stick with the stickered auto version.
The cards are wrapped in a sleek chrome finish. They will command a high price if you’re looking at graded copies.
- Refractor Parallels: Speckle #/150, Mojo #/99, Blue #/75, Gold #/50, Orange #/25, Red #/10, SuperFractor 1/1
2. 2020 Topps Finest Bundesliga Jude Bellingham RC #32 (eBay)
2020-21 Topps Finest Bundesliga Soccer is the first set from the popular brand to focus on the top flight of German football, rather than the UCL.
Bellingham’s RC is one of the key cards found in the 100 player base set. This includes signed versions and a range of refractor parallels.
It features a simple action shot of Bellingham mid-stride, wearing the familiar yellow and black of Dortmund.
- Base Refractor Parallels: Base Refractor (1:3), Purple #/250, Purple Wave #/250, Blue #/150, Blue Wave #/150, Green #/99, Green Wave #/99, Gold #/50, Orange #/25, Red #/5, SuperFractor 1/1
- Autograph Refractor Parallels: Blue Refractor #/65, Green Refractor #/50, Green Wave Refractor #/30, Gold Refractor #/25, Orange Refractor #/15, Orange Wave Refractor #/10, Red Refractor #/5, SuperFractor 1/1
1. 2020 Topps Chrome UCL Sapphire Edition Jude Bellingham RC #68 (eBay)
The 2020-21 Topps Chrome Sapphire Edition offers an assortment of base cards, parallels and a few image variations. It’s an exclusive blue version of the base 2020-21 Topps Chrome UEFA Champions League set.
They might be unsigned, but copies of this rare Bellingham RC will always sell for a premium, easily matching the autographed versions seen above.
Bear in mind; the majority of collectors couldn’t even get their hands on a box after it sold out in seconds. Sites like eBay are pretty much the only way to grab a copy for your personal collection.
- Parallels: Aqua #/150, Yellow #/99, Green #/75, Orange #/50, Purple #/25, Red #/5, Padparadscha 1/1
Jude Bellingham Rookie Cards: Buyers Guide
Bellingham is a standout player in one of the toughest leagues in Europe, but what do we think about the current state of the market for his RCs?
Base cards have largely been mass printed, so we’d avoid the majority unless they’ve been wrapped in a slab and given a 10 grade by one of the reputable companies. You should be able to pick up serial numbered parallels for a lower price, especially if they lack a signature.
As for the best overall investment, we’re big fans of the 2020-21 Topps Chrome Sapphire Edition. We’d choose the unsigned Bellingham rookie card over the autos. There’s a reason why it holds up so well compared to the others despite the lack of a signature.
Buying/Selling Advice
Bellingham is one to watch for the future, and could be a major money maker for Dortmund.
Along with Erling Haaland, they’re two of the biggest talents in world football. It wouldn’t be surprising if they were sold for massive profits over the next few years.
Rumours suggest that Bellingham wants to stay with the side until 2023, giving him more playing time during a key stage in his development.
His RCs are already valuable. Now is the perfect time to add a card or two to your collection before he signs with an elite European side in England or Spain.
There’s always a chance he could lose form midway through his 20’s. He’s already one of the more proven teenage talents, and a safer bet than most.