"Doesn’t deserve the Ballon d'Or", "Has been atrocious" - Brazil fans blast Vinicius Junior after 1-0 defeat to Paraguay 

Brazil fans have criticized Vinicius Junior on X, with a section claiming he no longer deserves to win the 2024 Ballon d'Or. The Real Madrid attacker failed to make an impact in the Selecao's 1-0 defeat to Paraguay in their World Cup qualifier clash on Tuesday (September 10).

Diego Gomez gave Paraguay a shock lead in the 20th minute, striking the ball with the outside of his right foot from nearly 20 yards out. Vinicius' effort was cleared off the line five minutes later before failing to apply a clinical touch to score in the 74th minute.

FotMob gave the 24-year-old a rating of just 6.1. The Brazil winger completed 15 passes from 21 attempts with an accuracy of 71 percent, lost five duels out of seven, and completed one dribble from four attempts.

Despite being one of the favorites to win the Ballon d'Or this year, Vinicius has struggled to find success for the Brazil national team. His international goal record remains at five goals and five assists in 35 appearances across competitions.

The Selecao are fifth in the CONMEBOL standings with just 10 points from eight games, eight behind leaders Argentina.

One fan posted, saying Vinicius doesn't deserve the Ballon d'Or:

"A system player like Vinicius doesn’t deserve the Ballon d’Or. No wonder cristiano doesn’t rate him and mentioned lamine yamal instead of him. You can never be the best without performing for your country!! Vini is an international flop! It’s embarrassing," the fan wrote.

Another tweeted:

"Man has been atrocious under every manager in his career except Ancelotti. Once he flukes that Ballon d’Or this year, it’s curtains."

Check out other fan reactions below:

"Vinicius Jr touching the ball just 37 times in a game where Brazil have 70%+ possession is extremely worrying. It’s not like he’s trying things and they aren’t working. He’s just not involved at all," one fan commented.

"He’s so careless when it comes to the national team," another added.

"The whole team was awful, not just Vini today. They were tactically lost. They looked like a bunch of players who don't even train together. Worst Brazil I've ever witnessed," one fan tweeted.

"We cannot let someone like Vinicius who ghosts for his national team every single game to win the Ballon d'Or man. It would be the biggest crime in the history of the sport," another boldly wrote.

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"I think they will definitely give it" - Real Madrid legend predicts Brazil superstar to win the 2024 Ballon d'Or

Despite Vinicius Junior's national team struggles in recent months, Real Madrid icon Marcelo has backed his compatriot to win the Ballon d'Or this year. The former was recently nominated for the prestigious award and remains one of the favorites to win it for the first time in his career.

Marcelo said (via @MadridXtra h/t Daily Post):

“Ballon d’Or? I think they will definitely give it to Vinícius Jr. Carvajal, Bellingham, Kroos played very well too."

Vinicius had a standout 2023-24 campaign for Real Madrid, scoring 24 goals and providing 11 assists in 39 appearances across all competitions. His feats helped Los Blancos win three trophies, including the La Liga title, UEFA Champions League, and Supercopa de Espana.

The Brazilian is set to face stiff competition from the likes of Jude Bellingham, Dani Carvajal, and Rodri, with the latter two also winning the Euro 2024 earlier this summer for Spain.