Continuing to be the hero in a final and helping Real Madrid win the Champions League for the second time in 3 years, Vinicius has not only become an irreplaceable pillar of Europe’s greatest team, he is also on the rise. in the list of candidates to win the 2024 Golden Ball.
Two years ago, also in a match where the opponent was forced in the first minutes, Real Madrid had a goal, just 1 was enough to decide the match. Vinicius Jr’s close-range kick against Liverpool was enough for Los Blancos to win their 14th European championship in history.
Two years later, although he was not the only one to score in the final, the Brazilian striker’s dangerous left-footed shot officially ended all Dortmund’s hopes of an overthrow. In Dani Carvajal’s previous opening goal, Vinicius also contributed greatly. It was he who made a magical move on the left wing, forcing Mats Hummels to block and take a corner kick. From that situation, Toni Kroos hung the ball accurately for Dani Carvajal to jump high and head into the opponent’s net.
When Jude Bellingham passed the ball to his teammate from the opponent’s careless situation, the English midfielder even opened his arms to celebrate. That is the trust of his teammates in Vinicius, just like how Karim Benzema or Marcelo many times assisted Cristiano Ronaldo.
The moment Vinicius Jr. sank all of Dortmund’s hopes. Photo: AFP
History once again honors the Selecao star. Vinicius became the youngest player to score in two Champions League finals (23 years, 325 days). The previous person to hold this record was superstar Lionel Messi (23 years, 338 days), achieved in the 2009 and 2011 finals.
When the final whistle sounded, joining the celebratory atmosphere of the whole team, captain Carlo Ancelotti said to give the golden ball to Vinicius. President Florentino Perez, standing nearby, heard that and immediately said he should award the Golden Ball to all members of the team. Not only did Carlo Ancelotti think Vinicius deserved the Golden Ball, teammate Rodrygo also shared on his personal page that Vinicius is the best in the world. Besides, Jude Bellingham, Lucas Vazquez and Joselu all recognized their teammate as “world number 1”.
“Winning the Golden Ball is very difficult because the whole journey requires maximum effort. However, I am gradually believing what people are saying every day. They say I am the best player in the world on right now” – Vinicius shared.
Vinicius’ second Champions League title in his career at the age of 23. Photo: AFP
Since starting to play for Real Madrid, Vinicius has gone through 10 finals with Los Blancos. He had 11 G/A (goals and assists) among these. This is the season the 23-year-old star has scored the most goals ever with 24 goals in all competitions. That is a remarkable achievement because this season he had to miss 17 matches (as expected) compared to last season to recover from injury but still had an outstanding number of goals.
“I hope the president sees this interview and extends my contract because I just want to stay at Real Madrid. I want to make history like my seniors Luka Modric, Nacho, Dani Carvajal or Toni Kroos. They have won 6 Champions Leagues and become an inspiration for us” – Vinicius shared. His contract is currently valid until 2027 after being extended in 2022, the time after Real Madrid’s 14th championship.
