Jude Bellingham Is Causing a Stir in NYC, and It's Not for Soccer

Jude Bellingham has played in some of the world's biggest soccer stadiums, but his latest crowd isn't gathering to watch him score. In fact,the Real Madrid starisn't even in New York City.

That hasn't stopped him from becoming one of downtown Manhattan's most talked-about attractions. The 23-year-old England international is the face of a massivenew Calvin Klein underwear billboardat the corner of Houston and Lafayette Streets.

And while New Yorkers are accustomed to seeing celebrities plastered across buildings, Bellingham's latest campaign is apparently getting more than the usual passing glance. People are stopping to take pictures, filming videos for TikTok and, according to one nearby resident, even holding up traffic for a better look.

For a player who spent the summer representing England at the World Cup, it's a rather different kind of attention. Jude Bellingham's Latest Campaign Has New Yorkers Stopping in Their Tracks The billboard features Bellingham modeling Calvin Klein's Icon Cotton Stretch Hip Brief, with the soccer star's image stretched across a 55-by-75-foot advertising space in Manhattan's NoHo neighborhood.

The location is familiar to anyone who follows fashion advertising. Calvin Klein has used the prominent corner for decades, often turning its campaigns into conversations that extend well beyond the clothing being sold.

This time, Bellingham is giving people plenty to talk about. "All day long people have been honking horns and getting out of their cars to take videos," a person who lives nearbytold Page Six.

Another source described the display as a tourist attraction, adding, "He is a babe." The reaction hasn't been limited to the sidewalk. Videos of the billboard have been circulating on TikTok, where fans are joking about making special trips downtown just to see it.

One creator suggested that anyone claiming to be heading to SoHo for shopping might have a different destination in mind. Another called the billboard the best view in New York City.

It's the sort of attention that money can buy in advertising space, but not necessarily in genuine public interest.