Lionel Messi snubbed Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham for two rivals in Kopa Trophy vote
The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner chose a former team-mate and Bayern Munich player ahead of the former Birmingham City midfielder
Lionel Messi chose Jamal Musiala and Pedri over former Birmingham City midfielder Jude Bellingham in this year's Kopa Trophy vote as the England midfielder scooped the award.
The Birmingham City academy graduate has become one of the most exciting prospects in world football, shining since his move from St. Andrew's to Borussia Dortmund and continuing to showcase talents at Real Madrid following his transfer in the summer. Bellingham has also become a mainstay for Gareth Southgate's England side, playing a key role in the Three Lions' World Cup campaign last winter and their European Championship qualification for the tournament in Germany next summer.
The Kopa Trophy was voted on by thirty-two former Ballon d'Or winners, who have to pick the top three under-21 players in world football. The first choice is given three points, the second place gets two, and the third adds just one to their total.
READ MORE: Wayne Rooney responds to Josef Martinez transfer links to Birmingham City
READ MORE: Sunderland face crisis with two key players banned for Birmingham City match
In the end, Bellingham won by a whopping 48 points with 90, while there were nine between Musiala and Pedri. But the votes of 12 former Ballon d'Or winners have been revealed, with Messi, who won an eighth Ballon d'Or at the same ceremony in Paris last week, opting in favour of Musiala, followed by former Barcelona team-mate, Pedri.
The votes of Luis Figo, Zinedine Zidane, Marco Van Basten, Ronaldinho, Oleg Blokhin, Luka Modric, Andriy Shevchenko, Karim Benzema, Fabio Cannavaro, Ronaldo Nazario, and Kaka were also revealed, with only last year's Ballon d'Or winner, Benzema, following Messi in his decision not to pick Bellingham.
Benzema, who now plays in Saudi Arabia for Al-Ittihad, went for former Real teammate Eduardo Camavinga before Pedri and then Bellingham. The England international's Kopa Trophy glory was undoubtedly boosted by his electric start to life at the Santiago Bernabeu. The midfielder has 13 goals and three assists in 14 games across all competitions.
He said: "It is a great list of players [to have won this award before]. 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."
Bellingham, however, put Messi at the top of his list as the deserved Ballon d'Or winner ahead of his former Borussia Dortmund teammate, Erling Haaland. "It's World Cup year and Lionel Messi had a fantastic World Cup, he deserves to win the Ballon d'Or," the 20-year-old said.
Europe is unlikely to see Messi play at in Club competition again in any of its top five leagues. The 36-year-old is settled at Inter Miami, which he joined over the riches of Saudi Arabia and Barcelona in the summer. Messi himself has admitted that his European Club adventure is over.
"Yes," Messi told L'Equipe on whether his chances of playing in Europe again were over. "Thanks to God, I had an extraordinary career in Europe and won everything I have dreamed of. Now that I have decided to come to the USA, I don't think I will ever return to playing in Europe."
Messi added: "I could have returned, but it wasn't like that. It was something similar to what happened in 2021. It was very similar to having to go to Paris [Saint-Germain] in 2021. I thought about returning to Barca, about my life there, about retiring there as I always wanted, but it wasn't possible."