Manchester City star backs Real Madrid forward for Ballon d’Or success ahead of Rodri | OneFootball

Vinicius Jr. is the frontrunner to win the Ballon d’Or this year, and as the special day nears, the hype around his achievement only increases.

The Brazilian winger may not have made a strong start to the new season, but his strong showing last term is all that counts towards the priceless individual award that Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo dominated for years.

Several pundits have chosen the Real Madrid winger as their pick for the award, but a strong case is made even for Manchester City’s Rodri who won the Euros and the Premier League in a year.

Ederson makes his pick

Speaking to the media in an interview recently, Manchester City superstar Ederson was asked to make his pick for the Ballon d’Or this year and he has no doubts that his compatriot deserved it more than another contender, Rodri.

‘I hope Vinicius wins the Ballon d’Or, he did everything last season,” he told TNT Sports.

Vinicius Jr. is tipped to win the Ballon d’Or this year. (Photo by Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images)

The Real Madrid star, at this point, is the overwhelming favourite to take home the prestigious award and bring it back to Santiago Bernabeu for the first time after Karim Benzema won it in 2022.

Having won the UEFA Champions League and La Liga last season, Real Madrid players flooded the list of Ballon d’Or nominees. Of them, Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Jr were the clear frontrunners.

The Brazilian slowly emerged as the favourite after it became increasingly clear how he carried Real Madrid’s attack in a season where the club lacked a centre-forward.

In 3791 minutes, the winger scored 26 goals and provided 13 assists including four goals in two finals. He also scored in the final of the UEFA Champions League against Borussia Dortmund and was named the player of the tournament.

Now, the verdict has been made and unofficial rumours suggest that Vinicius has already won the award. It will be handed over at the Theatre du Chatelet in what will be a historic moment for the youngster.