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Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher has backed Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr. to win the Ballon d'Or this year. He believes the Brazilian will win it over Manchester City midfielder Rodri, who's also in the race.
The 2024 Ballon d'Or ceremony, organized by France Football, is set to take place at the Theatre de Chatelet in Paris on Monday, October 28. There are multiple players in contention to win the coveted prize like Vinicius, Rodri, Jude Bellingham, and Dani Carvajal. The Brazilian winger, though, is the favorite to win it.
Vinicius showed his prowess yet again as Real Madrid beat Borussia Dortmund 5-2 in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday, October 22. He scored a hat-trick at the Santiago Bernabeu to help his side make a comeback from being 2-0 down. After the game, Jamie Carragher was asked on CBS Sports who should win the 2024 Ballon d'Or and he answered (via Madrid Xtra):
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"Ballon d'Or? Enjoy your Ballon d’Or, Vini.”
Vinicius had a brilliant 2023-24 season with Real Madrid, helping them win LaLiga, UEFA Champions League, and Supercopa de Espana. He scored 24 goals and provided 11 assists in 39 games across competitions.
The Brazilian scored a hat-trick in the Supercopa de Espana final against Barcelona. He also scored in the Champions League final against Borussia Dortmund and was named the Player of the Season in the tournament.
For Brazil, he scored two goals in three games at the 2024 Copa America. He was, however, suspended for the quarter-finals as A Selecao were eliminated by Uruguay on penalties.
Vinicius Jr. scores a sensational hat-trick to help Real Madrid beat Borussia Dortmund 5 days before potential Ballon d'Or win
Real Madrid came into the clash against Borussia Dortmund, having won one and lost one of their two UEFA Champions League 2024-25 matches. They had a poor start against Dortmund and found themselves 1-0 down in the 30th minute via a Donyell Malen goal. Jamie Bynoe-Gittens made it 2-0 for the German side just four minutes later.
Los Blancos then came in the second half with much more aggressiveness and application. They equalised in the 60th minute through Antonio Rudiger before Vinicius restored parity two minutes later. Lucas Vazquez then made it 3-2 in the 83rd minute.
In the 86th minute, Vinicius received the ball on the left side deep into Real Madrid's half and dribbled almost the entire length of the pitch to score. He then completed his hat-trick in stoppage time with a lethal left-footed finish. He now has eight goals and seven assists in 14 games across competitions.
