- Jude Bellingham has won the Kopa Award at the 2023 Ballon d’Or
- Bayern Munich’s Jamal Musiala finished second behind his ex-England teammate
- The Kopa Prize is awarded to the best performing young player under the age of 21
Jude Bellingham has won the 2023 Kopa Award at the Ballon d’Or while Jamal Musiala comes second.
It comes after Bellingham scored twice on Saturday to help Real Madrid come back and secure victory against Barcelona.
Bellingham was presented to the best performing player under the age of 21 and was joined by an illustrious list of nominees who topped this year’s leaderboard.
The list also included Man United striker Rasmus Hojlund, who impressed for Atalanta last year, scoring 16 goals for Serie A in all competitions.
They were also joined by Bayern Munich youngster Musiala, 20, who has scored three goals in his past two appearances for the Bundesliga champions, including a brace against Darmstadt this weekend.
Barcelona’s Gavi and Pedri were both nominated, while Bellingham’s teammate Eduardo Camavinga was also on the list.
RB Leipzig star Xavi Simons was another addition after his breakout season, scoring an impressive 22 goals in 48 games in all competitions for the German team.
But it was the England star, who has been fantastic for Real Madrid since moving to the Bernabeu for £113million this summer, scoring 13 goals in 13 games, who collected the award.
The twenty-year-old was a standout player for Borussia Dortmund last season. He scored 14 goals in 47 games in all competitions, helping the team narrowly miss out on victory in the German First Division.
But Bellingham said of his start at Real Madrid: ‘Yes, it was really good. I have been really welcomed by everyone at the club and everyone behind the scenes.
‘It’s really up to them. I’m really confident in my abilities, but they helped me get that out.”
On whether choosing the number 5 jersey would emulate Real Madrid’s legendary star Zinedine Zidane, Bellingham said: ‘Yes, there is a bit of that. There wasn’t much left to be honest.
“It’s a lot of pressure, but it’s something I wanted to invite on myself and pay tribute to one of my football idols.”
Speaking about how it feels to join such an illustrious group of players, including Kylian Mbappe, Matthijs de Ligt, Pedri and Gavi, who have won the award, he said: “It’s an honor to stand here with some of the best players in the world. world and some of the best players to have played the game.
‘Winning this trophy means a lot, but for me team trophies are the most important. Now that I have this, it is important that I try to continue and help Madrid.”
Speaking to his former England teammate Musiala, who finished second, Bellingham added: “Yes, it’s nice because we were roommates for England about two or three years ago and he was one of my best friends in football.
‘I’m really proud of him. So always keep in touch to see how he is doing. He’s a great kid and a great player.’
Musiala, who was not present this evening, sent his congratulations to Bellingham via a video message: ‘Well deserved. I think not so long ago we can remember being roommates in England.
‘Now you play for Real Madrid and I play for Bayern, crazy when you think about it. I hope to see you soon and wish you a fantastic evening.’
More to follow…