"If he doesn’t win it, he’s had to have fallen off the biggest cliff ever" - Rio Ferdinand backs Real Madrid star to win the Ballon d'Or

Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has backed Real Madrid superstar Jude Bellingham to win the coveted Ballon d'Or award in the future. The Englishman claimed he would be baffled if the Los Blancos midfielder doesn't end up claiming football's most prestigious individual accolade before calling time on his career.

Jude Bellingham, 20, joined Real Madrid this summer in a £115 million move from German giants Borussia Dortmund. He has settled down at the Santiago Bernabeu incredibly quickly and impressed fans with his eye-catching performances.

The Englishman became the fastest player to score 14 goals for Los Blancos in history when he found the back of the net in their 3-0 victory over Cadiz in La Liga at the weekend. He reached the feat in his 15th appearance for the club, surpassing Cristiano Ronaldo, Alfredo Di Stefano, and Pruden Sanchez's record of 13 from 15 games.

After witnessing his explosive start to life in the Spanish capital, Rio Ferdinand has tipped Jude Bellingham to become a Ballon d'Or winner in the future. The former Manchester United centre-back stated that he would be shocked if the Real Madrid midfielder ends his career without picking up the prize.

“Jude Bellingham, he’s broke the record for goals scored at the beginning of your Real Madrid career,” Ferdinand said on VIBE with FIVE (via United in Focus).

"The top three are Jude Bellingham, second is Cristiano Ronaldo and third was [Alfredo] Di Stefano."

“That is an unbelievable stat that, ain’t it? If he doesn’t win it (the Ballon d'Or), he’s had to have fallen off the biggest cliff ever performance-wise,” the pundit added.

How did Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham fare in the 2023 Ballon d'Or award race?

Bellingham was among the candidates on the 30-man shortlist for the 2023 Ballon d'Or award back in September. The midfielder eventually missed out on the prize and managed an 18th-place finish in the final rankings, which were released on October 30.

Argentine legend Lionel Messi ended up claiming the accolade for the record-extending eighth time in his career. Manchester City striker Erling Haaland came second after the club's treble-winning campaign last season while Paris Saint-Germain and France forward Kylian Mbappe claimed the third position, following his World Cup heroics.

Despite the disappointment in the Ballon d'Or race, Jude Bellingham left the event with the prestigious Kopa Trophy, awarded to the best U-21 player in the world. It remains to be seen if the Real Madrid star will end up winning the Ballon d'Or award in the near future.