England and Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham invests in Birmingham Phoenix
Real Madrid and England football star Jude Bellingham has taken a minority shareholding in the Birmingham Phoenix cricket team.
Bellingham is taking 1.2% of the equity of The Hundred franchise – with half of the amount being sold by Warwickshire CCC and the other half by affiliates of Knighthead Capital Management (Knighthead).
That means Warwickshire maintains majority control of the Phoenix with 50.4% and Knighthead holding 48.4%
Bellingham, who is 22 and hails from Stourbridge, just outside of Birmingham, and holds the west midlands region close to his heart.
“I love Birmingham," Bellingham, who was a keen cricket fan as a youngster, told edgbaston.com.
"I’m very grateful for what the whole city of Birmingham has done for me. I love cricket as well so when I got the opportunity to get involved I didn’t really think twice about it, so I’m so happy to be on board.
“I’m so grateful to Birmingham, the Stourbridge area and the west midlands as a whole. I got the best upbringing into football, into life through Birmingham City.
"I feel like I owe the city something. Right now it’s difficult with how busy I am with football, but if there’s a way in which I can help then I want to and this feels like a good way.
“I think it’s so important to get our kids in the city out there playing sports. I think it’s crucial and the opportunity of me being a part of Birmingham Phoenix is to try and help people realise there’s different avenues. Some people will enjoy football, some people enjoy cricket.
“I want to let kids know, let adults know that there’s opportunities to go and enjoy sports. I was fortunate growing up I had the option of playing cricket and playing football, but some kids don’t have that opportunity.
"It’s important that if I can get involved in something like this to shine a light on an opportunity for kids, then even better.
“I think the things that you learn from playing cricket, playing football, playing team sports are with you for life. To be able to interact with people, understand people from different backgrounds and also realise you can have a good time with anyone.
"I think that’s the beauty of sport. It brings people together, especially now more than ever.”
The 2026 season of The Hundred is the start of a new era for the competition, with private investment entering the game.
England star Jacob Bethell will captain the Phoenix men’s side., with Australian legend Ellyse Perry leading the women’s team.