Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi won’t take the Ballon d’Or anymore. Since 2008, only two players interrupted their exchange: Modric in 2018 and Benzema in 2022. Now, there’s a third—Rodri. Many believed Vinicius deserved it.
Why won’t fans be surprised if Vinicius wins? After scoring three against Dortmund and hearing the roaring applause at Santiago Bernabeu. Real Madrid legend Emilio Butragueno stepped forward.
Emilio Butragueno said,“As for the third goal, I’ll say this: Vinicius reminded me of Pele. How he entered the box, how he struck… How he handled that moment. It’s a goal that glorifies football. People come to Santiago Bernabeu to see such goals.“
Vinicius has gone through quite a few hurdles in his life to get to this point today. He had to go through a lot of hard work and tough times to get this career.
There has been extensive writing about the family of this popular football player. He took the place of such a big player from a very poor family. His father is a construction worker and his mother is busy raising four children.
Hours of travel for training after Flamengo’s academy noticed him. Through all this, Vinicius Junior remained a grounded guy, say those close to him. And when Real Madrid bought him for €45 million in 2018, his path to greatness seemed clear—he just had to seize it.
It’s hard to shine at 18 in one of the best teams in the world. Vinicius took time to come to this stage. After scoring under 10 goals in two and a half seasons, doubts arose: did Real choose correctly? He was quick and skilled but not yet ready for high-level play.
Then Carlo Ancelotti returned to Real. In his first season with Carlo, Vinicius scored 17 goals with 10 assists in La Liga—a big number, though it didn’t make him a Ballon d’Or contender.
Remember, from August to December, Vinicius faced 75 days without football due to injuries—a first in his career.
Yet, during this tough period, he still scored six goals and made four assists. Not bad. True transformation, however, started in January when he became arguably the best player in the world.
When Karim Benzema left in the summer of 2023 and Madrid opted to wait for Kylian Mbappe, more offensive duties shifted to Vinicius. From January, he began breaking defenses from central zones. Due to his uncommon style, the opposing team is always behind him, due to which he continues to dominate day by day.
Summer Vinicius Junior’s key stats:
| Competition | Games Played | Goals | Assists | Key Performances |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Liga | 26 | 15 | 6 | 4 goals and 1 assist vs. Barcelona |
| Champions League | 10 | 6 | 5 | Goals in playoff games against Leipzig, 2 assists vs. Man City, 2 goals vs. Bayern in semifinals, standout performance in final |
| Super Cup | 2 | 3 | – | – |
| Copa America (Brazil) | – | 2 | – | – |
In total, he finished with Champions League, La Liga, and Super Cup wins, though lacking international accomplishments with Brazil, unlike Rodri. Vinicius and Brazil struggled in Copa America, and he missed the quarterfinal against Uruguay due to yellow cards.
After Ronaldo-Messi, we were set for a Mbappe-Haaland rivalry. But it hasn’t taken off. Maybe it’s coincidence, but it doesn’t seem that way.
“I’ll do this 10 more times. They’re not ready.” This was Vinicius’s statement after Rodri’s win. He’s sure now—he’s been overlooked. Despite his goals, assists, and electrifying play at Real, it wasn’t enough. So, it looks like we’re in for another story of resilience. Vinicius is no stranger to that.
