This weekend, a former Barcelona attacking star threw his support behind Real Madrid standout Vinícius Jr. in the upcoming Ballon d’Or race. Vinícius has been making headlines across Europe once again this week.
This endorsement comes after the Brazilian delivered a Man of the Match performance, ensuring Real Madrid’s Champions League aspirations for the season stay alive. In a 2-2 semi-final first-leg draw with Bayern Munich, Vinícius scored both of Los Blancos’ goals.
This isn’t the first time this season that the 23-year-old has stepped up when needed most, as evidenced by his impressive tally of 21 goals and 11 assists in 34 appearances.
One person who believes these performances could lead to Vinícius being named the world’s best player is Rivaldo. In an interview with Betfair, cited by DAZN, the former Barcelona standout expressed confidence in Vinícius’ chances for the Ballon d’Or:
“Vini Jr scored two goals in Real Madrid’s Champions League semi-final first leg at Bayern Munich, and my compatriot is the standout player in Europe today. He has been one of his team’s main players this season, showing a lot of desire. The team has adapted to his way of playing, and he is a great candidate to win the Ballon d’Or if Real Madrid win the Champions League. He’s already among the top three players in the world without being a champion of anything. Now, if Madrid get past Bayern next week and go on to win the Champions League, Vini has a great chance of being the best player of the season.”
