Newcastle United midfielder Bruno Guimaraes has backed Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham to win the Ballon d'Or in the future. He believes that the Englishman has yet to reach his peak and still has considerable potential left to tap.
In a conversation with Sky Sports' Saturday Social, Guimaraes was asked to name the three best midfielders in the world. He named PSG's Vitinha as his third choice, with Barcelona's Pedri as the second-best midfielder in the world.
While naming the Real Madrid star as the best, he explained:
"Jude for me is a complete midfielder; the most physical can score goals, [and be good at] defending. When I played against him in the Brazil vs England friendly, I think he was unbelievable. I played against all them, and Jude for me was the most difficult to defend. So it is the reason I'm going to put him on the top."
"You have to be careful [against them], [as] you cannot anticipate some of these players; like the same example I said about already, he thinks always one step ahead of you. So you have to read the player and I think Bellingham is an unbelievable player and it's too young. So he has a rough potential and I think one day he will in the Ballon d'Or."
Jude Bellingham is among the Top 30 nominees for the Ballon d'Or this year. However, the Real Madrid star is not among the favorites to win the award as the PSG superstars, along with Mohamed Salah and Lamine Yamal are leading the chase.
Barcelona midfielder praies Real Madrid stars after Ballon d'Or nomination
Barcelona midfielder Pedri spoke to France Football earlier this month and claimed that Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe are tough players to face. He added that the Englishman has the physical strength to his advantage, while also being technically sound. He said:
“Real Madrid have a lot of very good players. When Kylian Mbappe has the ball and is in a one-on-one, it is very difficult to stop him. And Jude Bellingham is really incredible. He combines physical strength with technical ability, which makes facing him extremely difficult.”
Pedri has admitted that he wants to win the Ballon d'Or in his career. The Spaniard said that Manchester City 's Rodri beating Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr to the award last year has reignited his dream of winning the France Football award.