Vinicius Junior is, for many people, the favourite to win the 2024 Ballon d'Or.
Rio Ferdinand went viral after his somewhat cartoonish reaction to the Brazil star's goal in the UEFA Champions League final win over Borussia Dortmund in May, but there are many who agree with his insistence that Vinicius deserves to get his hands on the most prestigious individual trophy in football.
Winning La Liga and the top competition in Europe, as well as Spain's Super Cup, was a spectacular achievement for Real Madrid in 2023/24. Vinicius was at the heart of it, his dazzling wing play inspiring Los Blancos to success on all fronts. Remarkably, they lost only one club match all season in which the 24-year-old was involved.
Kylian Mbappe has since become his teammate at the Santiago Bernabeu, perhaps with one eye on getting his hands on the Ballon d'Or himself. His new attacking partner in the Spanish capital may well see this year as the best opportunity to win it for himself.
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Vinicius Junior stats 2023/24
Vinicius played 49 games for club and country in 2023/24, scoring 26 goals and providing 11 assists. He lost just three times: once for Real Madrid: in the Copa del Rey Round of 16 against Atletico Madrid, and twice in World Cup qualifying against Uruguay and Colombia. He was suspended for Brazil's Copa America elimination at Uruguay's hands.
| Competition | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Win Percentage | Goals Scored | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Liga | 26 | 21 | 5 | 0 | 80.7% | 15 | 5 |
| UEFA Champions League | 10 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 60% | 6 | 4 |
| Copa del Rey | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0% | 0 | 0 |
| Supercopa de Espana | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100% | 3 | 0 |
| World Cup qualifiers | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0% | 0 | 1 |
| International Friendlies | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 50% | 0 | 1 |
| Copa America 2024 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 33% | 2 | 0 |
| Total | 49 | 32 | 14 | 2 | 65.3% | 26 | 11 |
Vinicius struck 21 goals for Madrid across La Liga and the Champions League. Los Blancos did not lose a single game in either competition in which the winger was involved.
He reserved some of his best performances for critical matches, too. He scored twice in the first leg of the semifinal against Bayern Munich and struck the killer second goal in the final against Borussia Dortmund at Wembley. He also netted a hat-trick against Barcelona in the semifinal of the Supercopa de Espana in January.
In league play, his two goals at Valencia in March rescued a point for Madrid, and they would have dropped four points in April — a key time in the title race — had he not scored against Osasuna and Barca.
Vinicius Junior trophies, finals 2023-24
| Competition | Finish |
|---|---|
| La Liga | Winners |
| UEFA Champions League | Winners |
| Supercopa de Espana | Winners |
| Copa del Rey | Round of 16 |
| Copa America 2024 | Quarterfinals |
Vinicius won La Liga, the UEFA Champions League and Supercopa de Espana with Real Madrid in 2023/24. The team did not lose a single game in any of those competitions when the Brazilian played.
He was unable to inspire a dysfunctional Brazil to similar success. They limped through to the knockout phase of the 2024 Copa America, but he was banned due to yellow-card accumulation as they were beaten on penalties by Uruguay in the quarterfinals.
When is 2024 Ballon d'Or ceremony?
The 2024 Ballon d'Or gala is due to be held on Monday, October 28, 2024 at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris, France.
The ceremony is scheduled to start at 8 p.m. local time (2 p.m. ET).