Taylor Swift devoted fan base, known as Swifties, has played a significant role in the hijack for the 2023 Golden Boy Award, with Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham emerging as the unlikely beneficiary with Alejandro Balde losing his vote share
The Golden Boy Award is a prestigious accolade in European football, given to the best player under the age of 21. While the winner is traditionally decided by a panel of journalists, this year’s fan vote has taken an unexpected twist.
Alejandro Balde slips in Golden Boy Award 2023 voting as Taylor Swift fans vote for Jude Bellingham over comments
The unexpected alliance between Swifties and Jude Bellingham began when comments made by Barcelona’s Alejandro Balde regarding his dislike for Taylor Swift’s music surfaced on social media.
Hey Swifties! 🫵👋 we can’t let this Balde guy win the golden boy award 😡💅 Vote for Jude Bellingham here 🫠👇
#TaylorSwift #1989TaylorsVersion https://t.co/705IUsahAk pic.twitter.com/8Y6m2uRmFF
— Not Python 🐍 (@notpythonn) September 5, 2023
In an interview with Mundo Deportivo, Balde candidly stated, “Do I like Taylor Swift? No, I don’t like her music.” This remark did not sit well with Taylor Swift’s ardent fans, who swiftly mobilized to support Bellingham in the Golden Boy award race.
An old tweet quoting Balde’s comment went viral, prompting Swifties to flood the online poll with votes for Bellingham, Balde initially led the fan vote with 43% compared to Bellingham’s 30%. However, in just seven minutes, Bellingham received nearly 100,000 new votes, surging ahead of Balde by a substantial margin.
Jude Bellingham’s impressive performance in the 2022-2023 season has made him a strong contender for the Golden Boy Award. After a standout season with Borussia Dortmund, where he scored 14 goals and provided seven assists in 42 games across competitions.
Bellingham made a high-profile move to Real Madrid for $110 million (£88 million, €103 million). His impact has been immediate, with five goals in his first four La Liga appearances, earning him the La Liga Player of the Month award.
The unexpected support from Swifties has bolstered Bellingham’s position in the Golden Boy award race, and he now leads the fan vote by a landslide, with over 89% of more than 3 million votes cast in his favor. Balde, on the other hand, trails behind with a mere 8.4% of the votes, followed by Jamal Musiala with 0.7%.
‼️ Taylor Swift fans played a massive role in the Golden Boy Fan Vote this year, quickly pushing Jude Bellingham from 30% to 80% after learning about Balde's negative comments about the singer. @tjcope #rmalive pic.twitter.com/c92SBUANk8
— Madrid Zone (@theMadridZone) September 6, 2023
While Bellingham’s substantial lead in the fan vote is a testament to the influence of Taylor Swift’s fan base, it’s important to note that the fan vote only accounts for 10% while the remaining 90% is determined by votes from journalists.
Regardless of the award’s outcome, Jude Bellingham has already demonstrated his rapid rise to success, including becoming the youngest captain in Bundesliga history and scoring as the youngest captain in the UEFA Champions League.
In a final twist, Taylor Swift’s upcoming concert at Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu stadium next year hints at where the American pop star’s fandom lies in the Barcelona-Real Madrid rivalry.