Esteemed Real Madrid Veteran Names the Los Blancos Player Most Deserving of the 2024 Ballon d’Or
Is it Vinicius or Bellingham? A Real Madrid great picks the player he thinks should win the 2024 Ballon d’Or.
Three players are likely to win the Ballon d’Or this year, and two of them play for Real Madrid. But in October, that prestigious award can only go to one star player for Real Madrid.
Karim Benzema, a famous player for Real Madrid, has joined in on the debate surrounding this year’s Ballon d’Or award. He chose his favorite candidate for the 2024 award.
It was no surprise that the 36-year-old Al Ittihad striker, who is Real Madrid’s second-all-time top scorer, chose a Blancos player to win the award. But Vinicius Jr. and Jude Bellingham were two of the three choices. Which Santiago Bernabeu star did the Frenchman choose?
The reason Benzema picked Vinicius Junior was because of how important the Brazilian attacker was to the team last season and in previous years.
“I’m going to say Vini because he deserves it for his season and not just for what he’s done this year, but also for what he’s done last year, he was also above the rest with his football and what he does with the ball,” Benzema told Goal.
“He’s a kid, a real football player.” He can win a game by himself, but his friends also help him a lot. He is great when Real Madrid needs him, which is why I think he deserves it. He always shows up and is always there. Even so, Vini is my best.
The superstar from the Selecao team scored the most goals for Real Madrid in 2023–24, helping the team win both the UEFA Champions League and La Liga. Bellingham scored about the same number of goals as Vinicius Jr., but Vinicius Jr. was his team’s star player in the last few games in Europe. He scored two goals at the Allianz Arena in the semifinals against Bayern Munich and then scored in the final against Dortmund.
But the former Flamengo winger let down his team at the 2024 Copa America. Brazil made it out of their group, but they were eliminated early in the knockout stage when they lost to Uruguay on penalties in the semifinals.
Even though Vinicius Jr. couldn’t play that game because he was suspended, he didn’t do well in the group stage, which hurt his chances of winning the Ballon d’Or.
Rodri, a star player for Manchester City who led Spain to victory at Euro 2024 and was named Player of the Tournament, is seen by many as the favorite to win.
The Spaniard won the Premier League and the European Championship. He almost won the FA Cup, but Manchester United bҽat him in the final last season.
The Ballon d’Or gala for 2024 is set for October 28. But the names won’t be known until early September. For the third time ever, the season, not the calendar year, will decide who wins France Football’s most important award. The season runs from August 1, 2023, to July 31, 2024.
