Ballon d’Or: Jude Bellingham wins Kopa Trophy as he’s named greatest young player

England and Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham has won the Kopa Trophy, which honours the greatest player in the world under 21 years old. 

At the Paris Ballon d’Or ceremony on Monday, the 20-year-old received recognition for his talent.

With 13 goals in his first 13 appearances since joining Real Madrid in the summer, Bellingham’s career at the club has skyrocketed. The Kopa Trophy honours his accomplishments from the previous campaign, in which he scored 14 goals in 42 appearances for Borussia Dortmund.

In the 2022 Qatar World Cup, he also assisted England in making it to the quarterfinals.

Bellingham was chosen ahead of Jamal Musiala from Bayern Munich. Other nominees included Real teammate Eduardo Camavinga and past champions Gavi and Pedri from Barcelona.

“That is a tremendous group of guys [who have received this honour before],” Bellingham said. “Being in front of some of the world’s top players and some of the greatest players to have ever played the game is an honour. Winning this award means a lot to me, but team trophies are more significant to me. I want to continue and support Real Madrid and England in winning trophies for many years.”