“There can’t be anyone else winning it” - Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti makes bold Ballon d’Or 2024 verdict 

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has backed Vinicius Jr. to win the 2024 Ballon d'Or. The award will be presented at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris on Monday, October 28.

Vinicius Jr. is the favorite to win the coveted award for the first time in his career after a stellar 2023-24 campaign. He scored 24 goals and provided 11 assists in 39 games across competitions. He helped Real Madrid win the UEFA Champions League trophy, LaLiga title, and Supercopa de Espana, putting in excellent performances in big games. He also won the Champions League Player of the Year award.

Before the Ballon d'Or ceremony, Vinicius will feature for Los Blancos in the El Clasico against arch-rivals Barcelona on Saturday, October 26. In a pre-match press conference, Carlo Ancelotti insisted that the Brazilian should win the award, saying (via Fabrizio Romano):

"We can say that Vini will be the next Ballon d’Or, no doubts.

“Vinicius will win the Ballon d’Or, for me it’s very clear and there can’t be anyone else winning it.”

Vinicius Jr. is among seven Real Madrid players who made it to the 30-men shortlist for the 2024 Ballon d'Or. Toni Kroos, Jude Bellingham, Dani Carvajal, Antonio Rudiger, Kylian Mbappe, and Federico Valverde also made the list.

Meanwhile, Manchester City's Rodri and Inter Milan's Lautaro Martinez are also among the prime candidates to win the award.

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Carlo Ancelotti previews upcoming El Clasico between Real Madrid and Barcelona

The first El Clasico of the season will see Real Madrid host Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabeu in LaLiga on Saturday, October 26. Along with it being an eternal rivalry, it is also a crucial match in terms of the league position. Barca currently sit atop the standings, three points above Los Blancos.

In a pre-match press conference, Carlo Ancelotti was asked which team he believes is the favorite for El Clasico. He answered (via Managing Madrid):

“The truth is that they are doing very well. In a match like the Clasico it is very difficult to choose a favourite. Fortunately, no one is keeping me up at night at the moment. The truth is that they are doing very well. In a match like the Clasico it is very difficult to choose a favourite.

"Fortunately, no one is keeping me up at night at the moment. I don’t know. It depends on the dynamics of the match. It’s difficult to choose a favourite beforehand. It’s a question of how you are able to handle the pressure, the moments of the match...”

Barcelona lost all three El Clasicos last season across competitions. They beat Bayern Munich 4-1 at home in the UEFA Champions League in their last match in midweek. Real Madrid, meanwhile, beat Borussia Dortmund 5-2 at home in their Champions League clash.