After a remarkable start to life at Real Madrid, England, and Real Madrid, midfielder Jude Bellingham has won the 2023 Kopa Trophy, given to the greatest young player under the age of 21.
Bellingham scored twice in Saturday’s 2-1 El Clasico win against Barcelona, including an amazing equalizer and a stoppage-time winner, to set a goal-a-game record in his first 13 games.
The 20-year-old finished 18th for the Ballon d’Or before becoming the first English player to win the Kopa Trophy since its inception in 2018.
The Kopa Trophy, on the other hand, was awarded for his performance last season, when Bellingham helped Borussia Dortmund finish second in the Bundesliga and excelled for England at the World Cup in Qatar.
Bellingham joined Real Madrid from Dortmund in June after the Spanish club paid an initial cost of £88.5 million, with the transfer fee possibly rising to £115 million – a record fee for a British player.
Following his move to Real Madrid, the former Birmingham midfielder has continued to shine for the Three Lions, with player-of-the-match performance in England’s recent victories over Scotland and Italy.
“I just want to thank everyone who has helped me get to this point – from Birmingham to Dortmund and now Real Madrid and the national team. Thanks for the support, it means a lot – and more to come.” Bellingham said at the Ballon d’Or event in Paris.
Bellingham became the fifth winner of the Kopa Trophy, following Kylian Mbappe (2018), Matthijs de Ligt (2019), Pedri (2021), and Gavi (2022).
Bellingham defeated Bayern Munich forward and former England youth teammate Jamal Musiala, while Manchester United striker Rasmus Hojlund was among this year’s nominees.
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