"He has exceeded all expectations and criticism" - Neymar Jr. names his favorite to win the Ballon d'Or this year
Neymar Jr. has named his Brazil teammate and Real Madrid ace Vinicius Jr. as his favorite to win the 2024 Ballon d'Or. The coveted award is set to be presented in Paris on October 28.
Vinicius is widely considered the favorite to win the award after a stellar 2023-24 season with Real Madrid. The Brazilian was key to Los Blancos winning the UEFA Champions League, La Liga, and Supercopa de Espana last season. He found the net 24 times and set up 11 goals in 39 appearances for the Spanish giants across all competitions.
In an interview with Brand Sports, Neymar chose Vinicius as his pick to win the 2024 Ballon d'Or, explaining (via Marca):
"Of course I will be supporting him [Vinicius] to win the Ballon d'Or this year. For me there is no other better candidate to win. He's a guy who deserves it, because he's a fighter. He has suffered a lot throughout his life, but he has exceeded all expectations and criticism. He has become an idol for all of us."
Despite a stellar season with Real Madrid, Vinicius' stint with Brazil in the 2024 Copa America ended in disappointment. The Selecao bowed out of the tournament after a 4-2 loss to Uruguay on penalties in the quarter-final, but Vinicius was suspended for the game. He scored two goals in three games in the tournament.
When Neymar Jr. sent support to teammate Rodrygo after 2024 Ballon d'Or snub
Shortly after France Football released their 30-man shortlist for the 2024 men's Ballon d'Or, fans and pundits quickly spotted Real Madrid ace Rodrygo missing from the list. Neymar was quick to send support to his Brazil teammate via Instagram after he was snubbed from France Football's shortlist.
"Minimum top 5 in the world! Ace," he wrote on his Instagram story.
Rodrygo didn't make it to the Ballon d'Or shortlist despite winning the UEFA Champions League, La Liga, and Supercopa de Espana with Real Madrid last season. The Brazilian forward scored 17 goals and provided nine assists over 51 appearances for Los Blancos across all competitions.
Meanwhile, Neymar has never been a recipient of the coveted award in his career. He finished third in the rankings in 2015 and 2017. The Al-Hilal star has been nominated for the award nine times in his career. The forward is currently recovering from an ACL injury he picked up during international duty for Brazil in November 2023.