Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson has backed someone other than teammate Rodri to win the 2024 edition of the Ballon d’Or, favouring country over club in the debate.
Rodri is one of the favourites to be crowned the best footballer in the world due to his contributions to City’s continued Premier League dominance and Spain’s success at Euro 2024.
But the midfielder’s greatest competition is Real Madrid superstar Vinicius Junior. The Brazilian winger didn’t succeed at the Copa America, with the Selecao underwhelming at the South American championship and falling at the quarter-final hurdle. But he was instrumental in Madrid completing what is actually a rare La Liga and Champions League double during the club season.
Ederson is hopeful that it will be his international compatriot who wins the Ballon d’Or.
“I hope Vini Jr. wins it. He deserves it for everything he did last season,” the goalkeeper told TNT Sports BR while on international duty over the weekend.
If Vinicius Junior, for whom Real Madrid paid big money when he was just 16, is successful, he would become the first player born in the 21st century to win the Ballon d’Or.
Ironically, Rodri would also become the first player born in the 1990s to win it. Such has been the utter dominance from Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi for 15 years from 2008 until 2023, players born since 1989 bizarrely haven’t had a look in. Luka Modric and Karim Benzema, both also born in the 1980s, are the only others to have won the Ballon d’Or in recent memory.
Jude Bellingham is also a contender, having been a big part of Real Madrid’s success and England’s journey to the Euro 2024 final. But odds quickly start to get longer for other nominees like Dani Carvajal, Lamine Yamal and Lautaro Martinez.
The Ballon d’Or will be presented at a ceremony in Paris on Monday 28 October.
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