‘What did he win in 2023?’ - Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham sees Golden Boy award questioned by Barcelona legend despite being a mix of ‘Michael Laudrup, Kaka and Paul Pogba’

England international Bellingham has been named the best young player on the planet after catching the eye for Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid in 2023. Collective honours have, however, proved elusive for the exciting 20-year-old - with personal prizes providing some consolation.

Barcelona legend Stoichknow acknowledges that Bellingham is a potential Ballon d’Or winner of the future – as he blends the skill sets of Michael Laudrup, Kaka and Paul Pogba – but the Bulgarian icon is not convinced that he should have pipped Bayern Munich and Barca starlets Jamal Musiala and Alejandro Balde to a prestigious individual award.

Stoichkov has 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’. 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.”

While Bellingham left Germany with questions of what could have been rattling around in his head, he has helped to put Real Madrid in contention for silverware at home and abroad this season with an impressive 13-goal return through just 14 appearances.