Jude Bellingham told he will have to emulate Lionel Messi to clinch 2024 Ballon d’Or as Gareth Bale insists he’s going head-to-head with Real Madrid team-mate Vinicius Junior

Bellingham’s upsurge in form makes him a crucial figure for England in their quest for the upcoming European Championship in Germany. Whereas, in the absence of Neymar Jr., Vinicius will be the protagonist in the Brazil squad as the Selecao look to dethrone reigning Copa America champions Argentina. Bale believes that if one of them goes on to lift the international trophy, as Messi did in 2022 when he fired Argentina to their World Cup, the scales will tilt in the victor’s favour.

When asked by the PA news agency if Bellingham was a viable candidate for the Ballon d’Or, Bale’s response was unequivocal. “Of course,” he affirmed. “Having a major international tournament is going to play a big part in winning that trophy. The Copa America is on as well, so I guess there’s a lot to play for (between Bellingham and Vinicius) because to win the Ballon d’Or you need to win team trophies. If there’s an international tournament you have to provide on that stage as well, like [Lionel] Messi did a couple of years ago. Obviously, there’s a lot to prove, but he’s done a lot of the hard work already.”

In the short term, both Bellingham and Vinicius are focused on delivering the 15th European title for Real Madrid by beating Borussia Dortmund at Wembley on June 1. But before flying to England, the duo will be in action in Real’s final La Liga fixture on Sunday against Real Betis.