Phil Foden vs Jude Bellingham: Man Utd target turns Ballon d’Or soothsayer after 2022 prediction

Phil Foden scored another hat-trick to put himself in the Ballon d’Or conversation with Jude Bellingham. Jason Wilcox knew it.

If only to see Michael Owen denied smug smiles at being the only Englishman ever to claim the gong, we would love to see Phil Foden or Jude Bellingham win the Ballon d’Or this season. They’re surely both in with a very good chance.

Frank Lampard came closest to winning it in the 23 years since Owen’s triumph, coming second in 2005, while Bellingham and Harry Kane were 18th and 19th respectively as the highest-ranking England players last year.

Bellingham’s stunning first season for Real Madrid has made him the favourite among the bookmakers, with Phil Foden eighth behind Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland, Kane, Lionel Messi, Rodri and Kevin De Bruyne.

Without wanting to be overly disrespectful to Inter Miami and the MLS, club honours aren’t likely to hold much significance for Messi, for whom even a Copa America win will surely see him fall short of his European competition, despite a stranglehold on the Ballon d’Or which saw him win it for an eighth time last year.

Haaland and De Bruyne being above Foden feels as though it’s based more on past accomplishments than their displays this season, as well as what they could do in the remaining weeks, given they’ve more often than not been outshone by Foden, as well as Rodri, who again proved himself worthy of being in the conversation in the 4-1 win over Aston Villa on Wednesday.

The Spaniard already has more goals (9) and assists (13) than in any previous season, adding an attacking threat to his game while remaining the foremost number six in world football.

He drifted into the box to sweep Jeremy Doku’s pass into the roof of the net to give City the lead at the Etihad, before showing delightfully quick feet to set up Foden – a more typical style of Ballon d’Or winner – for the second goal in his second hat-trick of the season.

That was a lovely finish, as he swivelled to guide the ball in off the far post. There was an element of fortune for his first, as Nicolo Zaniolo inexplicably jumped away from Ezri Konsa in the Villa wall to allow Foden’s free-kick through a gap. But there was no luck involved in the third, as Foden won the ball back before spanking it into the top corner.

The hat-trick draws him level on 30 goal contributions with Jude Bellingham, who got an assist on his return to action after suspension on Wednesday in Real Madrid’s 2-0 win over Athletic Bilbao.

The pair will be facing each other in less than a week when City travel to Madrid for the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final clash, and whoever makes it through to the semi-final will be the favourite to win Old Big Ears, which will also give them a very good chance of winning the Ballon d’Or.

With Bellingham and Foden as a pair of generational talents, as well as Kane, Bukayo Saka and other scary talent besides, there’s also a strong possibility England will go all the way in the European Championships, at which point the L’Equipe journalists surely won’t be able to look past a member of Gareth Southgate’s team, given the combination of club and international brilliance.

And we may therefore see soon-to-be Manchester United technical director Jason Wilcox’s 2022 prediction come true. “Why can’t one of our young players win the Ballon d’Or? Why not?” the then Manchester City academy head asked in 2022.

We can no longer think of a good reason why Foden can’t win it after another oustanding performance for Manchester City, but he’ll have to go some to pip Bellingham. A brilliant season for English footballers could turn into a brilliant season for England, with an individual award the cherry on top of multiple trophies for one of two young lads leading the way.

It’s Phil Foden vs Jude Bellingham and we’re here for it.