Paul Pogba has named Real Madrid superstar Vinicius Junior as the current best player in the world. This comes amid controversies around the Ballon d'Or, which was awarded to Manchester City midfielder Rodri, with Vinicius finishing in second place.
Pogba had an interview with popular video streaming sensation iShowSpeed, where he spoke about Vinicius (via Madrid Xtra on X):
“Best player in the world right now? I will give it to Vini.”
It seems as though Pogba is one of many who believe the Ballon d'Or award should have gone to the Real Madrid winger. It was quite a controversial situation at the ceremony on October 28, as the Spanish giants declined to send any delegates to the show.
They notably won the Best Men's Team of the Year, with manager Carlo Ancelotti winning the Best Men's Coach of the Year. Kylian Mbappe jointly won the Gerd Muller trophy with Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane as the most prolific scorers of last season (52 goals each). Two of their players made the podium as Ballon d'Or finalists. However, none of them were there to receive any accolades on the night.
This season, Vinicius Jr has been in brilliant form, scoring eight goals and providing seven assists in 15 games so far. Despite missing out on the Ballon d'Or, the winger looks set to have another impressive season, having won La Liga and the UEFA Champions League last season.
"Football has to stop" - Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti speaks about Spain floods
Meanwhile, Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has spoken about the ongoing emergency situation in Spain, with massive flooding affecting the Valencia region of the country. Los Blancos were set to face Valencia last weekend (November 2), but the game was postponed.
Carlo Ancelotti spoke about the postponement while questioning the decision to go ahead with other matches in unaffected areas of the country. He said (via BBC):
"Football is a party and you can only celebrate and party when you, your family and everybody is well. When people are not well, you don't party. Football has to stop. Because it is the most important of the least important things in life.
"But we are not the decision-makers. We have to follow the instructions of those who are in charge. There are many ways to help. Football had to stop and then help. Everyone has been clear about it - nobody wanted to play."
Other managers, including Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone and Barcelona boss Hansi Flick, also raised the issue, revealing their preference to cancel all the games. However, their matches were played over the weekend. Aside from Real Madrid and Valencia, Villarreal's match against Rayo Vallecano was also postponed.