"I really like the way he plays" - James Rodriguez believes Real Madrid midfielder could win Ballon d'Or award
Former Real Madrid midfielder James Rodriguez has tipped Jude Bellingham to win the Ballon d'Or. The Englishman was a revelation for Los Blancos last season, registering 23 goals and 13 assists in 43 games across competitions.
Bellingham's efforts were key to the Los Blancos' LaLiga and Champions League triumphs. While the 21-year-old has lost some of his shine this campaign, he has still amassed 11 goals and 11 assists from 38 games for Real Madrid.
Speaking to AS, Rodriguez said he was fond of Bellingham's style of play.
“I scored more than 14 goals and 15 assists, I think. It was a spectacular year, similar to the year Bellingham had in his first season. I really like the way he plays. I think he could win a Ballon d'Or," Rodriguez said (via footballtransfers.com).
Rodriguez then opened up on finishing eighth in the race for the coveted prize in 2014.
"Of course, to win the Ballon d'Or, I had [Lionel] Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, [Andres] Iniesta, Xavi, [Luis] Suarez, Neymar in 2014. I finished eighth with these greats ahead of me," said Rodriguez.
James Rodriguez joined Real Madrid from Monaco following a spectacular 2014 FIFA World Cup. Despite a strong start to life at the Santiago Bernabeu, the Colombian never lived up to expectations and was shipped off to Everton in 2020. The 33-year-old currently plies his trade with Liga MX club Leon.
Who was the last Real Madrid player to win the Ballon d'Or?
Karim Benzema was the last Real Madrid player to win the Ballon d'Or in 2022. Manchester City's Rodri won the award last year, with Vinicius Junior narrowly missing out.
The Brazilian winger was heavily tipped to lift his maiden prize, but ended up finishing second. Jude Bellingham completed the podium, securing third place.
Interestingly, Los Blancos had multiple representatives among the top ten, with Dani Carvajal finishing fourth and Toni Kroos finishing ninth. Kylian Mbappe, who joined the LaLiga champions this summer as a free agent from Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), finished sixth.
Real Madrid players have contributed the joint most wins in the history of Ballon d'Or, along with Barcelona. Eight players have won the award 12 times, including Cristiano Ronaldo, who won four of his five awards as a Los Blancos player. Alfredo Di Stefano, Raymond Kopa, Luis Figo, Ronaldo Nazario, Fabio Cannavaro, and Luka Modric also won the top prize during their time at the Santiago Bernabeu.
