England and Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham is to make a move into cricket ownership by buying a stake in top-100 side Birmingham Phoenix. The 22-year-old, who is expected to formally announce the move this week, has acquired around 1% of the team. The investment marks a unique crossover between football and cricket, a sport of which Bellingham is known to be a long-term fan.In The Hundred’s most recent investment round, the Birmingham Phoenix franchise was valued at around £82 million (Rs 10,36,76,61,800). In 2025, US investment firm Knighthead Capital acquired 49% of the shares, while Warwickshire County Cricket Club retained the remaining 51% as Edgbaston’s host county. It is understood Bellingham’s minority investment comes from a combination of existing shares, making him one of the franchise’s newest shareholders.Jude is now expected to announce that he has purchased a 0.6% stake in Warwickshire and a 0.6% stake in Knighthood, The Telegraph reports. According to auction data, his investment is worth around £1 million (Rs 126,470,000). The deal was first reported by The Cricketer and is expected to be officially announced on Wednesday.It is unclear exactly how the deal was agreed, but Warwickshire and Knighthead raised Bellingham’s potential involvement with the ECB more than a year ago, which would have enabled them to sell part of their stake.
personal and strategic initiatives
Bellingham’s investment is not only financial, but also personal. He grew up in the Midlands and began his football journey with Birmingham City, where his association with the Birmingham side adds to strong local links. Bellingham played for Hagley Cricket Club in nearby Worcestershire as a child and has maintained an interest in the sport.After the transaction, Warwickshire continues to hold a majority stake of 50.4% in Birmingham Phoenix, with Knighthead holding 48.4%. The team will be made up of key figures such as men’s captains Jacob Bethell and Ellis Perry, supported by rising British stars Alice Capsey and Davina Palin.Bellingham’s move highlights the growing commercial appeal of franchise cricket. The Hundred, launched by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), continues to attract global investors and attention in a bid to expand the sport’s audience.
