Jude Bellingham Crowned As The World's Best Young Footballer At The 2023 Ballon d'Or Ceremony

The 2023 Ballon d'Or ceremony took place in Paris on Monday night to recognise the best performers of the 2022/2023 season. It was a special night for many, including Real Madrid and England midfielder, Jude Bellingham.

Bellingham was the recipient of the 2023 Kopa Trophy, which is awarded to the best footballer under the age of 21. The Real Madrid star fought off competition from Bayern Munich's Jamal Musiala and Barcelona's Pedri, who finished in second and third place respectively, to win the award.

The rest of the top ten under-21 stars from the 2022/2023 campaign included Eduardo Camavinga, Gavi, Xavi Simons, Alejandro Balde, Antonio Silva, Ramsus Hojlund and Elye Wahi. Other previous winners of the Kopa Trophy include Gavi, Pedri, Matthijs de Ligt and Kylian Mbappe.

Bellingham's awarding of the 2023 Kopa Trophy is in recognition of his performances last season for his former club, Borussia Dortmund, where he netted 14 goals and registered seven assists in 42 appearances. He was also an integral part of England's run to the quarter finals of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, where he scored his nation's first goal of the tournament against Iran.

Speaking at the ceremony in Paris, Bellingham reflected on his footballing journey so far. He said: "I just want to thank everyone who has helped me get to this point - from Birmingham to Dortmund and now Real Madrid and the national team."

The 20-year-old added: "It is an honour to be in front of some of the best players in the world here and some of the best to have ever played the game. To win this trophy means a lot but for me, the important thing is team trophies and the important thing for me is to kick on and help Real Madrid and England win trophies for many years."

Since making a £88.5 million move to Real Madrid this past summer, Bellingham has been a revelation for the Spanish giants as he has scored 13 goals in as many games. This included goals on his La Liga and UEFA Champions League debuts for his new club.

Many of Bellingham's goals so far for Real Madrid have been crucial late winners. Arguably his most important goal in a Real Madrid shirt came this past weekend as he scored a brace in El Clasico to help Real Madrid recover from a goal down away to Barcelona to win 2-1.

Bellingham's trajectory suggests he will be a contender for the main Ballon d'Or award in years to come, with him constantly impacting big games and Real Madrid and England appearing in good shape for the future.

Elsewhere, Lionel Messi and Aitana Bonmati were the biggest winners of the night, with the two taking home the Ballon d'Or and Ballon d'Or Feminin respectively. This marks Messi's eighth Ballon d'Or win, three more than the five-time winner and long-time rival, Cristiano Ronaldo.

Messi, now playing for MLS side, Inter Miami, after leaving Paris Saint Germain this past summer, was awarded the Ballon d'Or this time around for his performances which helped Argentina win the World Cup last December. Messi scored seven goals at the tournament, including two in the final against France and he received the Golden Ball, which recognised him as the best player at the World Cup.

Finishing behind Messi in second place was Manchester City's Erling Haaland and in third place was Paris Saint Germain's Kylian Mbappe.

First-time Ballon d'Or Feminin winner, Bonmati, was instrumental in helping Spain win the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, where she scored three times and was handed the Golden Ball for her impressive displays across the tournament. She also helped Barcelona Femeni win both the Liga F and UEFA Women's Champions League last season and registered 19 goals in all competitions.

Bonmati beat off Chelsea's Sam Kerr, who was the runner-up and her club and international teammate, Salma Paralluelo, who finished third.

Other winners at the ceremony included Messi's Argentina teammate, Emiliano Martinez, who won the Yashin Trophy, with the Aston Villa goalkeeper recognised as the best goalkeeper from the past season. Also, Haaland did not go home completely empty-handed as he was awarded the Gerd Muller Trophy for being the best goal scorer last season with 56 goals for Manchester City and Norway.

Vinicius Jr. was awarded the Socrates Award, which recognises humanitarian work by footballers. The Real Madrid forward was handed the award for the work of his foundation, Vini. Jr Institute, which helps underprivileged children in his native Brazil by providing technology.

Manchester City and Barcelona Femeni were named as the Men's Club of the Year and Women's Club of the Year respectively.