Earlier this month, it was revealed that Jude Bellingham had won the 2023 Golden Boy award, which didn’t go to everyone’s liking…
The 20-year-old received the honor after an excellent season with Borussia Dortmund, and he has surpassed that performance in his first few months at Real Madrid
While many felt Bellingham was a worthy winner, not everyone agreed. Barcelona icon Hristo Stoichkov notably told Tuttosport journalist Massimo Franchi that he thought others were more deserving of the award.
“No (he shouldn’t have won). I don’t dispute its value. He is one of the greatest talents in the world: he has a lot of class and a lot of brains. For me he is a mix of Michael Laudrup, Kaka and Paul Pogba. The future belongs to him. The next Ballon d’Or will be played with him, Mbappé and Haaland, but I would like to know what he won in 2023 between Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid. Nothing…
“Since Gavi, the reigning winner, was not eligible according to the regulations, I would have given him to (Jamal) Musiala or (Alejandro) Balde, who won La Liga and the Spanish Super Cup with Barcelona. »
Ultimately, there is a good chance that Real Madrid management, and especially Bellingham, will disregard Stoichkov’s comments as they will believe the award was deserved. The Englishman hopes to add the Ballon d’Or to his tally in the future, and for now, he is on the right track.
