Jude Bellingham Wins Prestigious England Award, Breaking 19-Year Streak

The Real Madrid star joins Wayne Rooney and Steven Gerrard in an exclusive club.

Jude Bellingham is the first Real Madrid player to ever take home the honour. / Joe Prior/Visionhaus/Getty Images

Jude Bellingham was named England Men’s Player of the Year for 2024–25, becoming the first player in nearly two decades to win the award while playing for a non-English club.

The Real Madrid star picked up the honour after making eight appearances for the Three Lions last season. Bellingham helped England win promotion in the UEFA Nations League, finding the back of the net against Greece and tallying two assists against the Republic of Ireland.

The 22-year-old then featured in England’s European qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where he set up Myles Lewis-Skelly’s record-breaking winner against Albania.

Bellingham beat out Declan Rice, who came second in the voting, and Harry Kane, who came third in the voting, for the England Men’s Player of the Year award. The midfielder now joins the likes of Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard and David Beckham on the exclusive list of past winners.

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Your England Men's Player of the Year connected by @EE for 2024-25: @BellinghamJude! 👏 pic.twitter.com/VsQUxwKd7a

— England (@England) October 1, 2025

England Men’s Player of the Year Award: Full List of Past Winners

Year	Player	Club
2024–25	Jude Bellingham	Real Madrid
2023–24	Cole Palmer	Chelsea
2022–23	Bukayo Saka	Arsenal
2021–22	Bukayo Saka	Arsenal
2019	Kalvin Phillips	Leeds United
2018	Jordan Henderson	Liverpool
2017	Harry Kane	Tottenham Hotspur
2016	Harry Kane	Tottenham Hotspur
2015	Adam Lallana	Liverpool
2014	Wayne Rooney	Manchester United
2013	Wayne Rooney	Manchester United
2012	Steven Gerrard	Liverpool
2011	Scott Parker	Tottenham Hotspur
2010	Ashley Cole	Chelsea
2009	Wayne Rooney	Manchester United
2008	Wayne Rooney	Manchester United
2007	Steven Gerrard	Liverpool
2006	Owen Hargreaves	Bayern Munich
2005	Frank Lampard	Chelsea
2004	Frank Lampard	Chelsea
2003	David Beckham	Manchester United

Owen Hargreaves, who took home the honour in 2006, was previously the only player to receive the award while representing a club outside of England. The former Bayern Munich star held the record for the last 19 years until Bellingham.

The Real Madrid standout took the crown from Cole Palmer, who was the reigning England Men’s Player of the Year winner. Before the Chelsea man won the trophy, Bukayo Saka claimed the award in back-to-back years.

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Jude Bellingham Reacts to Winning First-Ever England Award

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by England football team (@england)

Bellingham took to social media to collaborate with England’s official account on Instagram to share a photo of himself with the England Men’s Player of the Year trophy.

The England international also posted the photo to his Instagram story, writing “Thank you.”

Bellingham and England will be back in action during the October international break. The Three Lions are set to take on Wales in an international friendly before facing Latvia in a 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifier.

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