Reports from different media sources suggest that Real Madrid and England midfielder Jude Bellingham is set to clinch the Golden Boy title as the world’s best young player in December.
The Golden Boy award, distinct from the Kopa Trophy presented at the Ballon d’Or ceremony, was established 20 years ago by the Italian publication Tuttosport.
Despite his young age, Bellingham played a pivotal role in Borussia Dortmund’s push to the top of the Bundesliga under Edin Terzic, challenging Bayern Munich’s longstanding dominance in German football before narrowly missing out on the league title on the final day.
Bellingham had a remarkable season, scoring 14 goals and providing seven assists in 42 appearances across the Bundesliga, Champions League, and DFB-Pokal. He became the first English teenager to score in four consecutive Champions League matches and even captained Dortmund in some Bundesliga and Champions League matches. He also had a successful World Cup campaign with England.
New Madrid’s Poster Boy
Following his move to Real Madrid, the 20-year-old continued to impress in Spain, equalling and breaking several goalscoring records with 13 goals in 13 matches and three assists. Bellingham’s first Clasico appearance saw him score twice to help his side win a 2-1 comeback over Barcelona.
In short, the young Englishman has been involved in everything good for Real Madrid, and he will be a key player for Ancelotti if they are to secure the La Liga or Champions League titles. Football betting fans can get the Bettors’ 1xBet Uganda sign-up guide to bet on all the football action till the end of the season.
If he wins the Golden Boy Award, Bellingham will be the third English player to win the Golden Boy, following in the footsteps of Wayne Rooney in 2004 and Raheem Sterling in 2014. Bellingham would also be the first active Real Madrid player to receive this accolade.
Bellingham Numbers
Bellingham has made 3 appearances in the Champions League for Real Madrid, scoring 3 goals and providing 1 assist in 269 minutes. He’s had a 3.3 shots per game rate, and an 87.6% passing accuracy, earning the Man of the Match award once with an 8.22 rating.
He has featured in 10 La Liga games, amassing 857 minutes, scoring 10 goals with 2 assists, having had a 2.4 shots per game rate, and an 89.1% passing accuracy. On average, he has won 0.9 aerial duels and has been named the Man of the Match 5 times, averaging an 8.12 rating.
During the FIFA World Cup, he made 5 appearances in 415 minutes, scoring 1 goal and providing 1 assist. He maintained a 90.3% passing accuracy and won an average of 1.2 aerial duels per game. His overall performance rating was 7.58.
In the European Championship, he made 4 appearances totaling 321 minutes and contributed 1 assist. He had an 81.9% passing accuracy and won 0.8 aerial duels on average, with a performance rating of 7.38.
He has played 23 matches totaling 1862 minutes, scoring 15 goals and providing 5 assists. He has been booked 3 times, with an average shots-per-game rate of 2. He maintained an impressive 87.9% passing accuracy and won 0.9 aerial duels per game, winning the Man of the Match award 7 times, with an overall performance rating of 7.88.
Besides the Golden Boy ceremony in December, Bellingham is also a nominee for the Ballon d’Or and Kopa Trophies, although Lionel Messi is expected to secure his eighth Ballon d’Or trophy, amid stiff competition from Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe.
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