VINICIUS JUNIOR already knows he is being crowned this year’s Ballon d’Or winner, according to reports in Spain.
The Real Madrid and Brazil star, enjoyed a sensational 2023/24 season as he scored 24 goals and assisted 11 en route to LaLiga and Champions League glory.
Manchester City’s Rodri and Vinicius’ Real Madrid team-mate Jude Bellingham have been mooted as potential winners of the Ballon d’Or.
But according to Marca, Vinicius has been informed he will collect the prize at the ceremony on October 28.
And it is understood there are plans to dedicate Madrid’s Nike store to Vinicius with an image of him on display and a gold theme throughout the shop.
If triumphant, the Brazilian would become the fourth different Real Madrid player to win the award in the last seven years.
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He would join an elite club that also includes Cristiano Ronaldo, Luka Modric and Karim Benzema.
Lionel Messi is the only non-Real Madrid player in the last 15 years to have won the Ballon d’Or – having collected it on a record EIGHT occasions between 2009 and 2023.
Including the now retired Toni Kroos, who hung up his boots as a Real Madrid player at the end of last season, Vinicius is one of six Los Blancos stars on the 30-player shortlist for the men’s award.
Bellingham, Kylian Mbappe, Antonio Rudiger and Fede Valverde were also recognised after securing the club’s 15th European crown.
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Journalists from Fifa’s top 100-ranked member nations vote to determine the winner.
Vinicius spoke last month about the Brazilian legends that have inspired him to win the Ballon d’Or.
He told ESPN: “I have Kaka as an example, I have Ronaldo [Nazario] who won the award twice, I have Ronaldinho, Rivaldo, a lot of Brazilian players who have won the Ballon d’Or.
“But without a doubt, Ronaldo and Ronaldinho are the ones I’m closest with, who tell me every day that I have to win the Ballon d’Or.
“I was with Ronaldo just now when I was in Ibiza and trained at his house and he told me: ‘Train here a few more days, so you are closer to the Ballon d’Or.’
“They are players who did incredible things and to be able to compete for the Ballon d’Or and to win an award that they won, that would be something really incredible.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
