José Mourinho names Jude Bellingham as a Ballon d’Or contender

Real Madrid head coach José Mourinho identified Jude Bellingham as a frontrunner for the next Ballon d’Or following the team's 4-0 win against Málaga. The 23-year-old midfielder contributed a goal and forced another during the LaLiga match to maintain his form from the start of the campaign. Mourinho praised the player’s performance level, citing his recent displays at the World Cup as further justification for his candidacy. The manager made the comments on Sunday after Kylian Mbappé also demonstrated his form with a goal. Bellingham remains a central figure for Real Madrid as the club continues its league season.

• 8:50 PMYahoo Sports — José Mourinho claims another Real Madrid star is ‘in the Ballon d’Or race’