• Football
  • Boxing
  • UFC
  • Home
  • Football
    • England
    • Transfer News
    • Premier League
    • Champions League
    • Lionel Messi
    • Cristiano Ronaldo
    • EA FC 25
    • Wrexham
  • Boxing
    • Tyson Fury
    • Anthony Joshua
    • Oleksandr Usyk
    • Mike Tyson
    • Jake Paul
    • Logan Paul
  • UFC
    • Dana White
    • Conor McGregor
    • Khabib Nurmagomedov
    • Jon Jones
    • Paddy Pimblett
    • Joe Rogan
  • Other Sport
    • Athletics
    • Formula 1
    • MMA
    • Motorsport
    • NBA
    • Darts
    • NFL
    • Snooker
    • Wrestling
    • Tennis
    • Cricket
    • Golf
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • UNILAD
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube
Barcelona legend claims Jude Bellingham didn't deserve Golden Boy award and names two more worthy winners

Home> Football> La Liga> Real Madrid

Published 13:43 21 Nov 2023 GMT

Barcelona legend claims Jude Bellingham didn't deserve Golden Boy award and names two more worthy winners

Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham has been told his Golden Boy win was not deserved.

Josh Lawless

Josh Lawless

Jude Bellingham has been told he did not deserve to win the 2023 Golden Boy award.

The 20-year-old picked up the coveted prize for 2023 after a stunning individual year.

Bellingham shone for Borussia Dortmund and won the Bundesliga player of the Season after helping Edin Terzic's side to a second-placed finish.

Advert

He's since scored a staggering 13 goals in 14 games for Real Madrid and excelled for England.

The Birmingham academy graduate became the third Three Lions star to win the gong - following in the footsteps of Wayne Rooney and Raheem Sterling.

But although he admires him as a player, former Barcelona star Hristo Stoichkov does not believe Bellingham was the rightful winner.

Advert

Instead he thinks it should have gone to Jamal Musiala or Alejandro Balde.

Image: Getty
Image: Getty

"Since Gavi was not eligible by regulation, the award should have been given to Musiala or Balde," he told Mundo Deportivo.

“I do not dispute Bellingham’s value. He is one of the strongest talents in the world: he has a lot of class and a lot of brain. For me, he is a mix between Laudrup, Kaka, and Paul Pogba. The future is his. He will fight with [Kylian] Mbappe and [Erling] Haaland for the next Ballon d’Or, but I would like to know what he won in 2023 between Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid. Nothing. "What success have all these goals brought to Real Madrid? You know well what my friend [Jose] Mourinho would say about the ‘titles’."

Advert

Image: Getty
Image: Getty

Stoichkov, who won the Ballon d'Or in 1994, used Dortmund's final day title collapse as an example.

Bellingham, who was unable to play any part due to injury, was reduced to tears after Dortmund lost the title on goal difference when they failed to beat Mainz at the Signal Iduna Park.

Musiala was the hero for Bayern, coming off the bench to score a late winner.

Advert

Image: Getty
Image: Getty

He continued: "Shall we talk then about how the last Bundesliga ended? Borussia Dortmund had a two-point lead over Bayern when there were 90 minutes left in the championship.

"They were playing at home against Mainz, while the Bavarians were in Cologne. "What happened with five minutes left? [Thomas] Tuchel introduced Musiala, who in the final stretch scored the 3-2 for Bayern while Borussia did not go beyond a 2-2 draw at home and goodbye to the title due to goal difference.”

Featured Image Credit: Getty

Topics: Barcelona, Jude Bellingham, Real Madrid

Josh Lawless
Josh Lawless

Josh is a sports journalist who specialises in football and WWE. He has been published by Curzon Ashton FC, Late Tackle, Manchester City FC, The Mirror, Read Man City and Manchester Evening News. He provides coverage of professional wrestling and has covered two WrestleMania events for SPORTbible.

X

@joshlawless_

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

2 mins ago
18 mins ago
an hour ago
3 hours ago
  • 2 mins ago

    What Coleen Rooney did after Wayne Rooney bid $150,000 for night out with Diddy in resurfaced footage

    Wayne Rooney paid $150,000 for a night out with Diddy.

    Football
  • 18 mins ago

    Cristiano Ronaldo's new Al Nassr contract could see second player leave after Jhon Duran exit

    Cristiano Ronaldo has signed a new contract with Al Nassr but it may result in key departures at the club.

    Football
  • an hour ago

    Liverpool fans slam Trent Alexander-Arnold's brother after talented wonderkid rejects new deal to sign for Premier League rival

    Trent Alexander-Arnold may have left Liverpool but the club's supporters are still furious with his brother and agent.

    Football
  • 3 hours ago

    Roy Keane was challenged to fight by former Premier League manager who claimed Man Utd legend 'is not as tough as he makes out'

    Roy Keane is considered one of football's last hardmen

    Football
  • Jude Bellingham could be about to cost Real Madrid astronomical sum of money as nightmare scenario revealed
  • Real Madrid fans tell Jude Bellingham to leave Club World Cup as he makes 'really bad' admission
  • Jude Bellingham 'could be ruled out until 2026' in devastating injury blow for Real Madrid and England
  • Endrick didn't hesitate when asked to choose between Neymar and Jude Bellingham