"I support this decision because he is my teammate" - Rodrygo believes Real Madrid teammate is 'main candidate' to win Ballon d'Or this year
Real Madrid winger Rodrygo believes teammate Vinicius Junior is the favorite to win the Ballon d'Or following an impressive season. The 23-year-old led Los Blancos to the La Liga and UEFA Champions League titles last season. He hit double digits in both goals and assists across all competitions.
Vinicius Junior scored a hat-trick against Barcelona in the Supercopa de Espana final, but it was in the Champions League that he shone. The Brazilian provided 11 direct goal contributions in 10 games, leading his team directly to the final, where he also scored.
Unsurprisingly, the Ballon d'Or award, set to be given in October, has Vinicius Junior's name written all over it as a major candidate. Rodrygo sees his Real Madrid teammate as capable of winning the award, telling Globoesporte during an interview (via Madrid Universal):
“We know that Vini is the main candidate to win it and I support this decision because he is my teammate."
Asked if he wished to win the Ballon d'Or, Rodrygo was modest, adding:
“It’s not something that’s my priority, but it’s something every player dreams of.”
He also spoke about fellow Brazilian Endrick, who was making the move to the Santiago Bernabeu this summer:
“Endrick is very mature for the age he is. You can feel it talking to him and on the pitch. For me it’s already a pleasure to be able to play with him, to be able to help him in some way. At Real Madrid I will help him, just like Vini did with me."
Rodrygo, Vinicius Junior, and Endrick all play for Brazil's national team, and they will be hoping to win the Copa America before returning to club football together.
Real Madrid legend speaks on club's latest mega signing
Real Madrid legend Zinedine Zidane recently spoke about Kylian Mbappe, who the club just signed on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain. In what has been the most open secret of the upcoming transfer window, Mbappe was announced by Madrid just two days after the club won the Champions League.
In a conversation with Telefoot, Zidane talked about Mbappe's potential impact at the Santiago Bernabeu (via Get Football News Spain):
“Kylian is here now. He will make history and I think he’ll surpass everyone.”
The sky is certainly the limit for the 25-year-old, who has made it to two consecutive World Cup finals with France, winning the 2018 trophy in Russia. He also notably scored a hat-trick in the final against Argentina in 2022, although Les Bleus ultimately lost on penalties.