New Delhi, Oct 28 Despite strong reports suggesting Vinicius Jr will win the 2024 Ballon d’Or award, Real Madrid’s entire squad including the Brazilian will not be flying to Paris for the award ceremony indicating the winger has not won the award.
According to a report by Spanish outlet Marca, Real Madrid does not expect Vinicus Jr to win the Ballon d’Or, one of the highest individual honours in football, and are tipping Manchester City midfielder Rodri to win the honour on Tuesday (IST).
The 2024 Ballon d’Or marks the end of one of the biggest eras in football history. This edition saw neither Lionel Messi nor Cristiano Ronaldo-- a duo that holds a combined 13 Ballon d’Or awards -- being nominated in the top 30 list for the trophy, for the first time in 21 years.
After Vinicius Junior's hat-trick inspired Real Madrid's stunning comeback 5-2 win over Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League clash, Real manager Carlo Ancelotti called the Brazilian "an extraordinary character" and insisted he "will win the Ballon d'Or" based on his performances last season.
“What I can say is that it’s rare to see a player who plays a second half like Vinicius did. And not because of the three goals but because of his character; he’s extraordinary" he said.
“Vinicius is going to win [the Ballon d’Or], not for what he did tonight, but for what he did last year. These three goals are already going to count for next year’s Ballon d’Or, that’s for sure. He is a player who gets whistled at because he can make a difference,” Ancelotti said in the post-Dortmund game press conference.
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