“He has to be chosen, no matter what happens” - Newcastle star Bruno Guimaraes picks 2024 Ballon d'Or winner
Newcastle United star Bruno Guimaraes has tipped his Brazil teammate Vinicius Junior to win the 2024 Ballon d'Or award.
The Magpies midfielder knows the Real Madrid man well, having shared the pitch in 10 matches across competitions with him for Brazil. Now, the pair are preparing to represent their country in the Copa America in late June.
Speaking to TNT Sports about who he thinks deserves the highest individual honor in football this year, Guimaraes said (via Sport Witness):
"I believe it could be fundamental, I believe that from my point of view, Vini has to be, no matter what happens. But I'm not the one who votes, I'm not the one who does these things, so I believe it could weigh on him."
"We're going to do our best here to help Vini too because he's a kid who deserves it a lot and for me he's already the best in the world."
This season, the Brazilian winger has been brilliant for Real Madrid, having scored 24 goals and bagged 11 assists in 39 appearances across competitions. He helped the Spanish giants claim the La Liga title, beating second-placed Barcelona by 10 points.
The 23-year-old attacker also scored in the Champions League final win over Borussia Dortmund (2-0) to seal the tie. Should his country make it deep into the Copa America, there is a good chance that Vinicius will walk away with the 2024 Ballon d'Or.
Real Madrid icon Karim Benzema picks Vinicius Junior as his favorite for Ballon d'Or
Real Madrid legend Karim Benzema believes Vinicius Junior will be awarded the Ballon d'Or this season. The French striker himself managed to win the prize in 2022 after leading the La Liga side to Champions League success.
It's no surprise that the Al-Ittihad forward has Vincius down to win the award. The pair have shared the pitch 186 times for Los Blancos across competitions, managing 42 joint goal contributions in the process.
Following Real Madrid's Champions League win this year, Benzema wrote on his Instagram story, along with a picture of the Brazilian:
"Ballon d'Or."
Should Vinicius win the prize in the end, he would have to fend off competition from Real Madrid teammates Jude Bellingham and Toni Kroos, who've had stellar campaigns. The England international may be closer than Kroos to the award after scoring 23 times and assisting on 13 occasions this season.