At this point, it seems like a foregone conclusion that Real Madrid superstar left winger Vinicius Junior will win the 2024 Ballon d’Or after a ludicrous second half of the 2023/24 season, overcoming injury and abuse to lead Los Blancos to convincing Champions League and La Liga title triumphs.
Vinicius Jr. finished the 2023/24 season with 15 goals and 5 assists despite only starting 22 games due to injury, and he was even more prolific in the Champions League with 6 goals and 4 assists in 10 starts with an average of 3.7 dribbles completed per game.
There are a number of other valid competitors for the Ballon d’Or, but the only two that have gained significant traction are Real Madrid teammate Jude Bellingham and Manchester City defensive midfielder Rodri, who was part of the City side that won the Premier League and the Spain side that won the Euros.
Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson is in a unique position, because he plays with both Vinicius Jr. and Rodri since he is one of the top two keepers on the Brazilian national team.
In an interview with TNT Sports Brazil, Ederson stated that he hopes Vinicius Jr. wins the Ballon d’Or in 2024 after his 2023/24 season: “Ballon d’Or? I hope Viní Jr wins it. He deserves it for everything he did last season.”
Rodri had a fantastic campaign with eight goals and nine assists from the defensive midfield position, in addition to averaging three combined tackles and interceptions per game for the Citizens.
But head-to-head, Vinicius Jr. had his and Man City’s number in a grueling Champions League quarterfinal, dancing his way around the best defense in the world and even putting Rodri himself on strings.
Rodri had a great season, but Ederson isn’t wrong for picking his countryman to win the Ballon d’Or. Hopefully, Man City fans have a rational reaction to Ederson’s vote, because Vini Jr. was sensational.
The managing editor of The Trivela Effect, Kevin has 15 years of experience in digital media. He covered Real Madrid from 2019-2022 for The Real Champs as a site manager. His work has been featured in ESPN, Bleacher Report, Yahoo! Sports, NBC Sports, and other major outlets. You can contact him at the site’s official Twitter handle @TrivelaEffect or via the site’s official email thetrivelaeffect@gmail.com.