"And the 2023 Kopa Trophy goes to…"
"Jude Bellingham."
Demien's fingers stayed around Sophia's hand a second longer than they needed to.
His jaw tightened once.
Then he exhaled through his nose and started applauding.
He'd wanted it.
There was no point pretending otherwise, not to himself, not sitting there with his hand still half-closed around Sophia's.
She noticed but didn't say anything yet, letting him have it for a few seconds without softening it for him.
Bellingham stood, and when he passed their section on his way to the stage, Demien rose enough to meet him.
Jude gripped his hand and pulled him briefly shoulder to shoulder.
"Unlucky, bro," Bellingham said.
"Go get it," Demien said.
Bellingham grinned and kept moving toward the stage.
Demien sat back down and watched him receive it, applauding properly now, the moment belonging to Jude and nobody else for these few minutes.
The screen eventually displayed the full result.
TROPHÉE KOPA 2023
1 — Jude Bellingham
