Real Madrid News
Official: Bellingham, Vinicius Jr, Benzema nominated for Ballon d’Or 2023
Just minutes after the announcement of Jude Bellingham’s nomination for the 2023 Kopa Trophy, it has now been confirmed that the 20-year-old Real Madrid midfield star has also been nominated for the Ballon d’Or 2023.
The England international arrived at the Spanish capital club this past summer and has made a stunning start to life at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Prior to his arrival in Spain, Bellingham had enjoyed a fine 2022/23 campaign with Borussia Dortmund almost leading the Black and Yellows to the Bundesliga title.
He managed a tally of 14 goals and seven assists from 42 matches for Dortmund last season and has netted five goals in four games since joining Real Madrid.
Here is the second part of the 2023 Ballon d'Or nominees…
— Ballon d'Or #ballondor (@ballondor) September 6, 2023
🏴 @BukayoSaka87
🇧🇪 @KevinDeBruyne
🏴 @BellinghamJude
🇫🇷 Randal Kolo Muani
🇵🇹 @BernardoCSilva #ballondor pic.twitter.com/dDEWJtneAt
As such, Bellingham is now in the running for the Kopa Trophy, the Golden Boy award, as well as the Ballon d’Or, with there being a strong chance that he will win the former two.
Meanwhile, another Real Madrid superstar, Vinicius Jr is also among the nominees for the 2023 Ballon d’Or.
The Brazilian superstar enjoyed his best campaign with Real Madrid last time around, as he directly contributed 44 goals (23G, 21A) across all competitions and was part of the Brazil team that made it to the World Cup quarterfinals.
Nominated for the 2023 Ballon d’Or @vinijr @realmadrid @CBF_Futebol #ballondor pic.twitter.com/H5qnPHiSWH
— Ballon d'Or #ballondor (@ballondor) September 6, 2023
Along with Bellingham and Vinicius, veteran midfielder Luka Modric has also made the list of final 30 nominees for Ballon d’Or.
Former Real Madrid captain and club legend, Karim Benzema, who won the Ballon d’Or 2022, is also nominated for this year’s award.
The Frenchman left the club this past summer after helping the Merengues win the Copa del Rey and the FIFA Club World Cup last season and is scoring goals for Al-Ittihad in Saudi Arabia.
Like Bellingham, Benzema winning the Ballon d’Or this year is an unlikely prospect, with the likes of Erling Haaland and Lionel Messi the favourites for the honour.
Aurelien Tchouameni has had an exciting start to his career at Real Madrid. Since joining the club for almost €80 million last summer, the young Frenchman has now become a pivotal figure in Real Madrid’s midfield unit.
However, prior to his move to Santiago Bernabeu, the midfielder was closely linked with a move to Paris Saint-Germain.
In a recent interview, Tchouameni opened up on his links to PSG but revealed his decision to join Real Madrid.
Aurelien Tchouameni on PSG links
Talking about speculations linking him to PSG, Tchouameni said (h/t Madrid Zone), “PSG? Frankly, I thought about it. It’s a very big European club, we want the French clubs to succeed.”
“But honestly, when Real Madrid calls you, it’s very complicated to say no,” Tchouameni added.
The midfielder was linked with a move to PSG during his time at AS Monaco. Les Parisiens wanted to sign the youngster as part of their plans to reinforce the midfield unit.
Tchouameni, though, ended up opting for a move to Real Madrid, which turned out to be a prudent decision from the midfielder’s end.
Tchouameni’s career at Real Madrid
Aurelien Tchouameni made a total of 50 competitive appearances during his maiden season at Real Madrid.
Although the Frenchman was not entirely a first-team regular in Carlo Ancelotti’s setup, his stature in the team is expected to grow in the coming years.
Especially as Toni Kroos and Luka Modric move on at the end of the season, there is scope for Tchouameni to become a first-team regular in the Real Madrid midfield in the years to come.
The former AS Monaco starlet has already played a crucial role in the starting eleven so far this season and it is only going to continue as the season progresses.
