Former Chelsea striker Didier Drogba has picked Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham and attacker Vinicius Jr. as future Ballon d’Or winners.
Bellingham and Vinicius are two of the most talented young players in the game at the moment. The former joined forces with Vinicius this season after arriving from Borussia Dortmund on a €103 million deal.
Both have emerged as key players in Carlo Ancelotti’s team. Vinicius has scored just thrice across competitions this season but provided both assists in the team’s 2-1 UEFA Champions League win at SC Braga. Meanwhile, Bellingham has sizzled with 11 goals and three assists in 12 games across competitions.
Admitting that the duo has Ballon d’Or potential, Drogba said (as per Madrid Xtra) that Bellingham and Vinicius are likely future winners of the prestigious award.
Thanks to the exploits of Bellingham and Vinicius up front, Los Blancos find themselves atop the pile after 10 La Liga outings. They also top their Champions League group with three wins out of three.
How have Chelsea and Real Madrid fared this season?
Real Madrid and Chelsea have made contrasting starts to their respective 2023-24 campaign. While Los Blancos have lost only once across competitions, the Blues have won only thrice in nine league games.
Carlo Ancelotti’s side’s only defeat this season came at Atletico Madrid, where they went down 3-1. Their only other dropped points this season came in a 1-1 league draw at Sevilla last weekend, having won 11 times across competitions.
Contrast that with the Blues, who invested nearly £450 million this summer, only to make a stuttering start. With just one win in their opening six games, Mauricio Pochettino’s side were closer to the relegation zone than the top four.
However, a revival in fortunes recently has seen the side go four games unbeaten, including thrice in the league. They’re coming off a 2-2 Premier League draw with Arsenal at home last weekend.
Chelsea led by two goals going into the final 13 minutes, but Declan Rice and Leandro Trossard forced a share of the spoils for Mikel Arteta’s side.
