Jude Bellingham is continuing to prove Lionel Messi wrong after he was overlooked as a future contender to win the Ballon d’Or.
The 36-year-old has clinched the award a record eight times and is the current holder following his heroics in the World Cup.
In an interview with L’Equipe in October, the Inter Miami forward named the four players that could contend for the Ballon d’Or in the years to come.
However, the Barcelona legend did not include Bellingham among the potential candidates, despite his impressive start at Real Madrid.
He said: “Which players will compete for the Ballon d’Or in the coming years?
“There may be a very beautiful rivalry in the coming years with players like [Erling] Haaland, [Kylian] Mbappe, Vinicius [Jr] and many young players competing for the Ballon d’Or.
“I also think that Lamine Yamal, who is still very young and now plays for Barcelona, will play a prominent role and fight for it in the future too.
“Certainly there will be others competing for it, new players that we do not know will appear, because there are always new players, and I think it will be a very beautiful era to enjoy.”
On the night that Messi scooped his eighth Ballon d’Or gong, Bellingham picked up the Kopa Trophy – awarded to the best performing player aged 21 and under.
The England international has shown no signs of stopping in his debut season in Spain, where he is the joint top scorer in LaLiga with 16 goals.
And he is on course to help guide Real Madrid to Spanish top-flight glory, with Carlo Ancelotti’s side eight points clear at the top of the table.
He could still yet claim Champions League glory, with Real in the quarter-finals, where they face Manchester City next.
In total, Bellingham has chipped in with 30 goal contributions in all competitions for Real since joining from Borussia Dortmund.
Gareth Southgate will be hoping the player keeps up his form heading into Euro 2024 this summer, where he is expected to play a key role for Three Lions.
And with bookmakers considering Bellingham to be favourite for the 2024 Ballon d’Or award, he has truly proven Messi wrong.