Jude Bellingham has won the 2023 Kopa Trophy after an excellent season for Borussia Dortmund and England.
Bellingham honoured for sensational 2022-23 seasonAlmost carried Dortmund to Bundesliga title Early frontrunner for 2024 Ballon d'Or Getty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?
After missing out on the 2021 iteration of the award to Pedri, Bellingham has finally landed top prize. He received the Kopa Trophy at the Ballon d'Or ceremony in Paris on Monday evening.
"I want to thank everyone. Birmingham City, Dortmund, Real Madrid. My teammates and most importantly my family… Thank you and there’s more to come," Bellingham said after receiving the award.
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Bellingham acted as a midfield dynamo for Dortmund last season, missing just three Bundesliga games while chipping in with 14 goals and seven assists in all competitions. His displays helped BVB go agonisingly close to ending their wait for a league title, with a final-day collapse against Mainz handing fierce rivals Bayern Munich top spot. Bellingham also featured for England at the 2022 World Cup, scoring in his side's opener against Iran.
The Madrid midfielder beat, in order, Jamal Musiala, Pedri, Eduardo Camavinga, Xavi Simons, Alejandro Balde, Antonio Silva, Rasmus Hojlund and Eleye Wahi for the award.
DID YOU KNOW?
The award was only established in 2018 and is named after former Real Madrid and France star Raymond Kopa, who won the 1958 Ballon d'Or. It is given to the best-performing worldwide player under the age of 21, with Barcelona sensation Gavi securing the prize in 2022.
Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?
Bellingham could be honoured at next year's awards too, after making a historic start to life at Real Madrid this season. The former Birmingham City man is averaging a goal per game after 13 matches and is also England's key man heading into this summer's Euros. If he can keep up his current form, he might even lift the 2024 Ballon d'Or.
