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2023 Golden Boy winner Jude Bellingham says he doesn’t care where he plays at Real Madrid, as long as it has an effect on the game. (0:57)
Jude Bellingham won the 2023 Golden Boy award for Europe’s most productive under-21 player on Monday, receiving a record 485 out of 500 conceivable questions from the jury.
The Real Madrid midfielder has enjoyed a start to his life at the Bernabeu, scoring 15 goals in his first 16 games after signing for Borussia Dortmund. It won the prize in a rite organized through its founders, the Italian newspaper Tuttosport, in Turin.
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Bellingham is the first Madrid to win the award, which has been awarded since 2003. He succeeds Barcelona midfielders Gavi, who won it in 2022, and Pedri, who won it in 2021.
The award is voted on among 50 journalists from newspapers, magazines and television channels from all over Europe. Each voter chooses his or her five most sensible players. The first position receives 10 points, the second position seven points, the third position five points, the fourth position three points and the fifth position one point.
Bellingham voted first among forty-five of the jurors, and second among the other five, giving him a total of 485 points.
The only previous winner who fits his dominance is Kylian Mbappé, who scored 291 points out of 300 in 2017, when there were only 30 voters.
Bayern Munich’s Jamal Musiala came in second place in this year’s poll, with 285 numbers. Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal was third with 92 points, RB Leipzig’s Xavi Simons fourth with 86 points and Paris Saint-Germain’s Warren Zaire-Emery fifth with 56 points.
Real Madrid and Colombia forward Linda Caicedo, 18, won the 2023 Golden Girl Award.
Brighton’s Tony Bloom received the award for Best European President, while Arsenal sporting director Edu Gaspar was named Best European Manager.
“There are a lot of satisfied people in Madrid, starting with the president,” Bellingham told Tuttosport, in an interview published on Monday.
“This was my last chance [to win the Golden Boy], because in 2024 I would possibly not be able to compete anymore. . . I’m glad I made it to the third attempt. It’s a trophy for life, which you can only win once. “
Bellingham thanked Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti for his form so far in 2023-24.
“The credit goes to Mr. Ancelotti, who found the right position for me and gave me more freedom on the pitch,” Bellingham said. “But I know that I’m disappointing him in one aspect … I don’t speak Spanish yet. It’s hard for me. But I promise maximum commitment, guaranteed.”
Bellingham has subsidised 18-year-old team-mate Arda Güler – who has yet to make his Madrid debut after suffering a series of injuries since his arrival last summer – as a contender to compete for the long-term prize.
“He’s a phenomenon,” he said. “We see him in training and we’re delighted with him. Then, my former teammate Jamie Bynoe-Gittens from Borussia Dortmund. And finally, my brother Jobe.”