"I personally only see Vinicius in third place" - Lothar Matthaus names player he believes should win the Ballon d'Or this year
Former Germany midfielder Lothar Matthaus reckons Rodri and not Vinicius Junior should win the 2024 Ballon d'Or.
Vinicius has been touted by Marca as the likely winner of this year's prestigious award. Matthaus said he wouldn't be surprised if that happened, explaining that goalscorers and winners of big titles like the UEFA Champions League or the LaLiga tend to get more spotlight.
The former Germany international said (as per Bild):
"It is the case in this election that those who score goals are always more in the spotlight than others. With victories in the Champions League and the Spanish championship, he has won titles with Real Madrid that justify this award."
However, Matthaus added that the Brazilian is only good enough for third place, according to him:
"Personally, I only see Vinicius in third place in my ranking of this year's world footballers.
"For me, Rodri deserved the Ballon d'Or more than Vinicius. He was the thinker and leader of European champions Spain, and he also won the Premier League with Manchester City. These are two titles that his teams won, thanks to his strong performances. That's why he was the outstanding player of the year for me."
Matthaus further said he would put Vinicius' Los Blancos teammate Jude Bellingham in second, ahead of the Brazilian:
"Second place for me would be Jude Bellingham. Like Vinicius, he won the Champions League with Real Madrid and was also one of the outstanding players at the European Championships.
"It was not least thanks to his goals that England reached the final against Spain and became runners-up at the European Championships. That's why my ranking of world footballers on the podium is: Rodri, Bellingham and then Vinicius."
The 2024 Ballon d'Or winner will be announced at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris on October 28. With none of the active former winners - Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Luka Modric and Karim Benzema - making the shortlist, a first-time winner is guaranteed.
How Ballon d'Or contender Rodri fared for club and country last season
Manchester City midfielder Rodri had a superb season for both club and country. For City, the 28-year-old bagged nine goals and 14 assists in 50 games across competitions as Pep Guardiola's side completed a Premier League four-peat.
Although the reigning treble winners fell to eventual winners Los Blancos in the UEFA Champions League quarter-final and to Manchester United in the FA Cup final, the 2024 Ballon d'Or contender shone for Spain at Euro 2024.
In six games, Rodri scored once as La Roja beat England 2-1 in the final to become the first team to win four European Championships, adding to their previous triumphs in 1964, 2008 and 2012.