Jude Bellingham tipped for Ballon d’Or by Real Madrid legend
Robin Bairner
- 27 Nov 2023 11:36 GMT
- 3 min read
Jude Bellingham marked his return to the Real Madrid side on Sunday with his 14th goal of the season against Cadiz, and the England international star is being tipped for the ultimate individual honour next season.
With Lionel Messi playing in MLS and Cristiano Ronaldo in the Saudi Pro League, the Ballon d’Or 2024 race looks one that is open to new talent to win, and Predrag Mijatovic believes that Bellingham has as good a shot as any at the prize.
Since completing a €103 million move from Borussia Dortmund, the 20-year-old Bellingham has shone with Los Blancos, grabbing the mantle of talisman at the Bernabeu mere weeks into his six-year contract.
Mijatovic cannot help but be impressed by what he has done so far, also praising Carlo Ancelotti for giving him the freedom to find the best version of himself.
“Bellingham has found a coach who likes players with these characteristics and has given him the freedom to move wherever he wants,” the striker, who won LaLiga and the Champions League with Real Madrid, explained.
“He has already scored practically the same number of goals as last year and that means that he is a player with tremendous potential. If he continues like this, he will surely be a candidate for the Ballon d'Or.
“I have the feeling that he has the character of a leader and his teammates respect him. They say that he is a great professional who trains as if it were a game. Also he is a great communicator. He may have a problem with the language, but when you see him, he is very alive. The comments from his colleagues are wonderful.”
Bellingham on the rise
Bellingham’s meteoric rise has been mirrored by his leap in expected transfer value.
When Madrid signed him, they actually got him at a cut-price fee, with FootballTransfers’ Player Valuation Model putting his worth at €110m - €7m less than the Bernabeu side paid.
Since then, his value has jumped to €132.5m, making him the third most valuable player in football behind Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe.
