Real Madrid Star Jude Bellingham Given Harsh Ballon d'Or Vote

Earlier on this week, Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappe finished second in the voting for the 25/26 Ballon d’Or, losing out to Bayern Munich and England national team forward Harry Kane.

He was not the only Los Blancos star on the 30 man shortlist, with Jude Bellingham finishing 11th, Vinicius Jr 17th, and Marc Cucurella 18th (for his work with Chelsea and the Spain national team).

Although it was generally agreed that the placement for Vinicius and Cucurella were fair, and maybe slightly kind if anything, a lot of fans believed that Bellingham should have placed higher— certainly in the top 10.

Well, perhaps he may have finished top 10 with a bit more support from back home. Indeed so, as journalist Henry Winter — England’s Ballon d’Or vote — had Bellingham ranked 8th in his top 10 voting.

His full top 10 were as follows 1) Kane, 2) Rodri (Manchester City, now Barcelona, Spain), 3) Lamine Yamal (Barcelona, Spain), 4) Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (PSG, Georgia), 5) Mbappe, 6) Pau Cubarsi (Barcelona, Spain), 7) Michael Olise (Bayern, France), 8) Bellingham, 9) Lionel Messi (Inter Miami, Argentina) and 10) Declan Rice (Arsenal, England).

Now, in isolation— Bellingham in eighth placed is not a huge crime. If a journalist from another country placed him there, you’d say ‘Ok, well he had a great World Cup, but a tough season with injuries and Real Madrid failed to win anything’.

However, as a journalist, you should back your countryman. Do you reckon the Georgian journalist had Kvaratskhelia anywhere but first place? Now, Winter having Kane first is fine. He was a worthy winner. But to not have Bellingham higher than eighth feels like a disservice to someone who had a record breaking World Cup with The Three Lions.

For example, the French vote saw Ousmane Dembele in second place, behind Mbappe. That’s backing your countryman. Even though Dembele clearly did not have a better season than the likes of Kane, Lamine Yamal and co— he still voted him in second place. Then when you consider a couple of the names above the Real Madrid star, it feels harsh.

Even if Winter didn’t have Bellingham in second place, he could have had him higher, certainly top five. A shame to see really. Especially from a journalist who has so often backed the 23-year old, despite other parts of the English media not doing so. 

But ah well, such is life.