The “legendary striker” Ronaldo (48) has predicted the Ballon d’Or for his younger brother, Vinicius Junior (24, Real Madrid).
“Ronaldo has revealed his views on the 2024 Ballon d’Or winner,” the UK’s Sports Brief reported on Sept. 9 (KST).
Real Madrid defeated Borussia Dortmund 2-0 in the UEFA Champions League final of the 2023-2024 season at Wembley Stadium in London, England, on Feb. 2 to win the title.
Real Madrid lifted the Champions League trophy for the 15th time in its history, extending its record to 15 titles. It was their sixth title in the last 11 seasons and first in two years since the 2021-2022 campaign. Dortmund, on the other hand, 토토사이트 finished as runners-up, falling to their knees at Wembley just as they did 11 years ago.
Aside from his goal, Vinicius had eight dribbles on the day, which was enough to shake up the Dortmund defense. He also passed Lionel Messi to become the youngest player (23 years, 325 days) to score in two Champions League finals.
In addition to his goal,
Vinicius energized Real’s attack with three shots on goal, a 78% pass completion rate, five touches in the opponent’s box, and 13 dribble attempts (eight successful).
Vinicius’ final tally this season was 24 goals and 11 assists in 39 games. He won La Liga, the Champions League, and the Supercopa de España. “His exciting numbers and man-of-the-match performances in big games have convinced fans that he deserves to win soccer’s most coveted individual award,” said Sports Brief, discussing his Ballon d’Or chances.
“Vinicius has done it again,” said Goal.com, a global soccer publication, “scoring the second goal of a Champions League final in which his team chose not to show up for nearly 75 minutes to cement his status as the world’s best player. It was his 24th goal of the season,” 사설 토토사이트 claiming that ‘the Ballon d’Or may just be on its way to him.’
Teammate Jude Bellingham was also praised. “A Ballon d’Or showcase for Vinicius,” the outlet said.
“Four months into the season, Bellingham was the favorite,” Goal.com continued. But in recent months, Vinicius has entered the race and is now the frontrunner. He didn’t have his best game, but he was calm when it mattered and scored the crucial goal to seal the final.”
“This was the moment that could make Vinicius a Ballon d’Or winner: he broke his personal season record for goals and became more than just a constant problem for opposing defenses. He is now undoubtedly world-class and deserves the recognition he deserves.”
Even Karim Benzema, Real Madrid’s Ballon d’Or winner, has backed Vinicius’ bid. According to Tribuna, Benzema posted a photo of Vinicius on his personal social media with the words “Ballon d’Or” written across it. Benzema won the Ballon d’Or in 2022 after leading Real Madrid to the 2021-2022 Champions League title.
Benzema was followed by Real’s “original No. 9” Ronaldo, who claimed the award for the “Brazilian junior” Vinicius.
“I think he deserves the Ballon d’Or,” Ronaldo told ESPN, “He’s been amazing in the Champions League and he’s been great in La Liga. 안전놀이터 He’s getting better and better.”
He added: “I think his time has come. He has played a very decisive role for Real Madrid this season. In my opinion, he’s the best player at the moment,” he thumbs up.