The 2024 Ballon d’Or gala is approaching, and there is a lot of anticipation around who will succeed Lionel Messi’s last win. According to reports, Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr. would be the winner of this edition, but Bayern Munich and Germany legend Lothar Matthäus doesn’t agree with that decision, but he would “understand” the reasons behind it.
“If the rumors that Vinicius Junior wins the Ballon d’Or are true, it wouldn’t be a big surprise for me,” Matthäus told Bild, via Sport. “In these votes, those who score goals are always more in the spotlight than the others. With victories in the Champions League and LaLiga, he has won titles that would justify the award,” he explained.
However, to him, Vinicius would be in “third place in my ranking of the best footballers in the world this year,” while his favorite player to win the award is Manchester City and Spain midfielder Rodri, who recently suffered a serious knee injury.
“For me, Rodri would have deserved the Ballon d’Or more than Vinicius. He was the compass and leader of Spain, the European champions, and also won the Premier League with Manchester City. These are two titles that his teams won thanks to his performances. That’s why, for me, he was the standout player of the year,” Matthäus said.
Rodri of Manchester City (Stu Forster/Getty Images)
Meanwhile, Real Madrid striker Jude Bellingham would be his second choice. “Like Vinicius, he won the Champions League with Real Madrid and was also one of the standout players of the European Championship. Thanks to his goals, England reached the final against Spain and finished as runners-up in Europe,” he added.
Vinicius’s past season: His achievements
Vinicius appeared in 49 matches last season, recording 26 goals and 11 assists for both Real Madrid and the Brazil national team. The Brazilian secured three titles with Real Madrid: La Liga, the UEFA Champions League, and the Spanish Super Cup.
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When is the 2024 Ballon d’Or gala?
The Ballon d’Or gala will be held on October 28, at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris, France. Apart from the award for the best male player of the year, the gala will also award the best female player of the year. Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmatí, who recently became the highest-paid female player, is the favorite to win her second Ballon d’Or.
