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Real Madrid superstars Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Jr have emerged as top contenders for the 2024 Ballon d'or, as the Los Blancos defeated Bayern Munich 2-1 (4-3 aggregate) to reach their 18th Champions League final. The club is set to face Borussia Dortmund in the final at Wembley Stadium on June 1.
According to a recent report by Diario AS, Brazilian star Vinicius Jr and English youngster Jude Bellingham are the favorites to win the 2024 Ballon d'or this season.
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Real Madrid won their 36th La Liga title last week and are set to play the Champions League final. If they win the coveted European trophy a record 15th time, it could bolster Vini or Jude's chances of winning the Ballon d'or. At the domestic level, they've also won the Supercopa de Espana in the current season.
Both Vinicius and Bellingham had significant contributions to Madrid's triumph this season, making them top contenders for the most significant award in the football world. Vinicius has 21 goals and 11 assists in 36 appearances across all competitions this season, while Bellingham has 22 goals and 10 assists in 39 appearances across all competitions so far.
However, the Ballon d'or could also depend on two important international tournaments, the Euro 2024 and the Copa America 2024. While Bellingham has a chance to shine in the former when he represents England, Vinicius has a chance to win the South American trophy with Brazil.
It remains to be seen which Los Blancos superstar makes it to the podium in October 2024.
Which Real Madrid superstars have won the Ballon d'or in the past?
Several Real Madrid stars have won the coveted Ballon d'or in the past. The most recent winners in Real Madrid history are Karim Benzema in 2022 and Luka Modric in 2018. They are the only two players to have won the award in the Lionel Messi-Cristiano Ronaldo era since 2008, when either of the two have won the award every year.
Cristiano Ronaldo has won the award five times, only second to Lionel Messi's record eight times. The Portuguese legend won his first Ballon d'or while in Manchester United, but the next four times as a Real Madrid player (2013, 2014, 2016, and 2017).
Brazilian sensation Ronaldo Nazario won his second Ballon d'Or while playing for Real Madrid in 2002. His first Ballon d'or came in 1997. Luis Figo won the award in 2000, after his controversial transfer from Barcelona to the Los Blancos. Fabio Cannavaro won the 2006 Ballon d'or while playing for the club.
The first player to win the Ballon d'or as a Los Blancos star was Alfredo Di Stefano, who won the coveted award on two occasions: 1957 and 1959.
Di Stefano is also the only player to have won the Super Ballon d'or in 1989, awarded to the greatest player in European history. Di Stefano's contemporary and fellow Madrid teammate, Kopa, won it in 1958.
Legends of the game such as Kaka (2007), Zinedine Zidane (1998) and Michael Owen (2001) have also won the honor. While they all played for the Spanish giants at one point in their career, they were not playing for the club in the years when they won the honor.
