He is a leader — Jose Mourinho backs 23-year-old for Ballon d'Or

Mourinho was full of praise for Jude Bellingham, hailing the 23-year-old England international as a leader and a potential Ballon d'Or winner.

Bellingham scored a stunning opener as Madrid cruised to a 4-0 victory over Malaga at the Bernabeu on Sunday.

After breaking the deadlock in the 19th minute with a brilliant individual effort, he also played a key role in Madrid's second.

“Bellingham is not only a top player, but also a leader,” Mourinho said.

“He’s very demanding of himself, and demanding of his teammates. I really like that about him.

“He is in the Ballon d’Or race. What he does as a midfielder is absolutely incredible.”

Mourinho previously described Bellingham as a unique player with a wide range of attributes, physical, mental, tactical, and goalscoring, and has made him a central figure in his new-look Real Madrid side.

The change appears to have suited Bellingham, who told Real Madrid TV:

”Now I'm a bit more free, with the freedom to move further up, and drop deep if we need it. I'm enjoying it a lot. That's why I'm playing well.”

The midfielder also enjoyed a strong 2026 World Cup with England, and his manager now believes theres is an outside chance of winning football's biggest individual prize.