Shake It Off, Alejandro! Barcelona star Balde’s lead in the Golden Boy 2023 awards PLUMMETS after angering Taylor Swift fans by claiming he didn’t like her music… as Jude Bellingham soars past him in the vote
Shake it off, Alejandro! Barcelona star Balde’s lead in Golden Boy 2023 awards plummets after angering Taylor Swift fans by claiming he didn’t like her music…while Jude Bellingham flies past him in the mood
- The Golden Boy Web Award is organized by the Italian Tuttosport for public voters
- Both Balde and Bellingham have built strong arguments as rising star players
- Listen to the latest episode of the Mail Sport podcast It all starts
A campaign spurred by Taylor Swift fans to defend their icon has elevated Jude Bellingham’s position in the public vote for the 2023 Golden Boy Web award.
The twelve-time Grammy Award winner is one of the most popular artists worldwide and her devoted fans are quick to come to her aid on social media when needed, though they usually don’t meddle in football matters.
But a viral tweet sparked a social media campaign apparently spearheaded by ‘Swifities’ – the star’s fan army – that aimed to put the Real Madrid starlet ahead of one of his rivals in the race for honours. , Alejandro Balde from Barcelona.
A Real Madrid fan account is believed to have sparked a flurry of votes for Bellingham and the Blaugrana rising star, with a post on Tuesday drawing attention to a specific quote from Balde.
The X user (formerly Twitter) shared a quote from the 19-year-old in May about his taste in music, with the left-back reportedly sharing, “Do I like Taylor Swift? No, I don’t like her music’.
Alejandro Balde may have shattered his hopes of winning the 2023 Golden Boy Web award
A rigorous social media campaign has pushed Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham up the ranks
Taylor Swift’s devoted followers turned against Balde when it became known that he was not a fan of the singer’s music
This was circulated with a caption evoking a battle cry to the singer’s followers: “Hey Swifties! We can’t resist this Balde man with the golden boy award. Vote here for Jude Bellingham’.
The Barcelona left back had maintained a solid lead in the game Tutto sport votes in favor of the social media stunt, with the England international’s vote share rising from 30 per cent to 89 per cent between 5pm and midnight.
The original poster seemed somewhat baffled by his own influence on the mood, later recounting that “my own genius is frightening at times.”
Both Bellingham and Balde have strong claims for the coveted prize, to be awarded in November, as well as the overall Golden Boy award, which is determined by a jury of journalists.
Former Borussia Dortmund star Bellingham has had a blistering start to his career at Los Blancos. He scored five goals and registered another assist in Real Madrid’s first four games.
One Real Madrid uttered a potentially tongue-in-cheek rallying cry against ‘Swifties’, which was quickly seized upon
Within hours, Bellingham’s share of the vote soared, putting him in the lead for the honor
This performance saw him being named LaLiga Player of the Month on his debut in the competition, with the midfielder seemingly determined to prove his £113 million worth in a flying start.
Balde has become a valued presence in Xavi Hernandez’s side since making his senior squad debut in 2021, making 44 appearances in all competitions for the champions.
Away from the Camp Nou for the first time since 1957, they enjoyed a similarly strong start to their 2023/24 season.
Despite opening the season with a patchy 0-0 draw against Getafe, the Catalan side have since recorded victories against Cadiz, Villarreal and Osasuna.
