Does Vini Jr have a chance? The favorites to win the Ballon d’Or this season

Individual awards carry a lot of history in football and usually change the level of players, divided between who was considered the best in the world or not. Despite the importance of FIFA’s The Best, the Ballon d’Or is every athlete’s dream because it is the most traditional, held since 1956. At the time, only Europeans could participate. From 1995 onwards, players who were born on other continents started to compete.

The story of the France Football magazine awards this season will be more than special. It is the first after the dynasty led by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, who, this time, are not among the favorites or at least nominated. The Argentine even won the last one and reached eight Ballon d’Orsby far the biggest winner, with three more than the eternal Portuguese rival.

For 2023/24, initially, a trio seems ahead in the dispute between the best: Kylian Mbappé, Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham. However, Vinicius Júnior runs on the outside, with decisive participation in the Champions League. Last week, the Brazilian tied with his English colleague in the artillery of the Real Madrid.

It is important to mention how much the Champions will weigh in the awards. For example, if the Bayern Munchen is champion, Kane will be the main name, as would happen with Mbappé and Paris Saint-Germain and Bellingham/Vini and Real Madrid. If Borussia Dortmund conquer Europe, it will be somewhat unpredictable and, then, the Euro Cup and the Copa Americaplayed in the middle of the year, should gain even more relevance for journalists who choose the best in the world for France Football.

Check out this list from Trivela the 10 best players this season and their respective numbers. The names are not necessarily in order of favoritism for the Ballon d’Or, but divided between two groups – the clear favorites for the award, and those who, despite their good level, are unlikely to win, but could appear in the top-10.

The four favorites to win the Ballon d’Or in 2023/24

Mbappé

In his likely last season for PSG – should play for Real Madrid in 24/25, Mbappé leaves no doubt that he is focused on the French club and is one of the big favorites to be the best in the world at the end of the season. The average number of goals for the left winger, who also plays as a center forward, is almost one per game, currently with 43 goals in 45 matches throughout 23/24. The impact of number seven is impressive, very involved in creating PSG’s plays and floating across all sectors of the field. Therefore, he also has 10 assists.

Despite top scorer (26) and champion from the Call 1the biggest highlight for the French star is leading the artillery in the Champions League, with eight tied with Kane.

It is worth mentioning that Mbappé comes from matches recently erased by the European competition, especially in defeat in the semi-final against Borussia, when he barely touched the ball and the most he did was a shot at the post. Decisive in the two matches with Real Sociedad in the round of 16, Mbappé was discreet in the first game against Barcelonabut still lost the balance with two goals that gave lap classification. Today, perhaps the Frenchman is the biggest favorite for the Ballon d’Or.

Harry Kane

Bought for almost 100 million euros at the beginning of the season, Kane is worth every penny invested. In a bad season for Bayern, without a league title, Bundesliga and from German Cup, the center forward scored just 43 goals in 43 games. There were 35 in the German Championship alone, a record for a debutant, and just six less than the highest scorer in a single edition, Robert Lewandowski, who scored 41 in 2020/21. For this reason, the Englishman has practically guaranteed this season’s Golden Boot, an award that only considers national leagues. More than just a number nine, he maintained his importance outside the box, as he did in the Tottenhamand already has 11 assists.

If won, the Champions League will be the 30-year-old’s first trophy, with a special flavor because the final will be at Wembley. And he is more committed than ever to his quest for the title. There are eight goals scored, half of them in the knockout stage, and three assists. If he ends up without titles, Kane should fall in the evaluation of France Football voters, and perhaps even end up behind other names that, individually, were no better than him.

Jude Bellingham

When we watched Bellingham’s first six months in the Real Madrid shirt, the impression was that he was born to defend the Spanish giants. Immediate impact, practically automatic adaptation and goals after goals, despite being a midfielder behind the Brazilian attacking duo of Vini Jr and Rodrygo. With the departure of Karim Benzema, Carlo Ancelotti created a scheme that favored the Englishman stepping into the area to score. Therefore, between August and December, there were 17 goals and five assists.

The mid-season cut was made because the number 5 had a clear drop in performance, assumed by him and the Italian coach. Since turning the year, Bellingham has scored four goals and dished out five assists. There are some reasons behind this, such as a sprained ankle that took him out of five matches between February and March, as well as a new tactic from Ancelotti. The team now has Rodrygo on the left and Vini on the insideboth in great shape, while the English midfielder is having difficulty finding space close to the Brazilians.

In the Champions League knockout stage, the most he did was assist Vini in the return match against RB Leipzig. In the rest, he played discreet (or bad) matches against Manchester City and Bayern Munich. In order for it to be the best in the world, it needs to deliver more at the end of the season, especially in the European competition, as the title of La Liga it’s guaranteed.

Vinícius Junior

Boasting three goals and two assists in the same Champions League knockout is not for everyone. ‘Decisive’ is the word that defines him in this final stretch of the season, when he put the ball under his arm and took advantage of Bellingham’s bad form to lead Real technically. Against City, he left his team-mates ready to score twice in the electrifying 3 to 3. On the way back, at the Etihad, he gave the pass to Rodrygo to open the scoring – which didn’t count as an assist because Ederson saved Rayo’s first shot. In the semi-final against Bayern, Real only did not lose at the Allianz Arena, as the creation of Flamengo he made a perfect movement (after an equally perfect pass from Kroos) to score when Neuer left and created the penalty that he himself converted.

Vini Jr is just not among the top three of the season for the first six months of 23/24. He suffered from two injuries that left Ancelotti’s team absent for 12 games, totaling more than two months, first between August and September, then from November until the beginning of 2024. This absence has now been compensated, reaching the goalscoring lead (21 ) and assists (10) in the squad, the same numbers as Bellingham.

Who has a great season, but won’t be the best in the world

Rodri

The Manchester City midfielder may be a “cult” vote for the best in the world, but he deserves to be in the top spots, like last season. Pep Guardiola’s team only lost three times this season, just when Rodri was suspended for a red card. In fact, the Spanish maintain impressive undefeated streak for the club: the last time they lost was in February last year, to Tottenham, and since then they have won or drawn 70 games.

In addition to being an essential first midfield man in the defensive moment due to his ability to tackle and cover spaces, he also adds a lot in the offensive game. Whether it’s his shots to the wing or his shots from distance, Rodri is as important (or more important) than Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne this season. So far, he has eight goals and 11 assists in 45 games.

Griezmann

Unlikely Ballon d’Or winner Antoine Griezmann could be a candidate if the Madrid’s athletic have a more competitive season. The team didn’t even fight for the La Liga title, in addition to falling in the semi-finals of the Spanish Super Cup and the King’s Cup. In the Champions League, favorites against Dortmund, the Spaniards succumbed to pressure in Germany. Despite all this, the one who never stopped performing was the striker (or midfielder?).

Providing technique, returning to set up the team and also appearing in the box to finish, he has an impressive 21 goals and eight assists in 44 games. More than an offensive piece, the Frenchman is extremely dedicated when without the ball, something non-negotiable for Diego Simeone’s team. It is worth mentioning that this season he became the top scorer in Atlético’s history, with 174, surpassing the historic Luis Aragonés.

Palmer

It was enough to leave a team that played little and be the absolute starter in another, and Cole Palmer showed, at 21 years old, to be one of the main promises of the generation. On a Chelsea messy and irregular, the boy became the team’s top scorer. Premier League, with 20 goals (tied with Haaland), as well as nine assists. On the field, he played as a right winger or midfielder, and showed the same quality with short dribbles, speed, precise passes and accurate finishing.

Who knows, perhaps when the Blues are ready and ready to compete for titles, the Englishman, who earned the nickname “Cold Palmer” for his coolness, will be one of the candidates to be the best in the world.

Foden

If in the middle of City it is Rodri who decides, the leading role in the attack is with Phil Foden, taking advantage of the injured periods of Haaland and De Bruyne. Part of the squad’s rotation in recent seasons, the Englishman became the starter once and for all with the departure of Riyad Mahrez and has demonstrated a very high level, playing wide or inside.

For the entire 23/24, there are 24 goals and 10 assists, by far the best season since he became a professional with the Citizens. That’s why he was just voted the best player in English football by the Football Writers’ Association of England.

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Saka

The English generation is strong and it is no surprise that this list has four names coming from there. Bukayo Saka, another right winger like Foden and Palmer, is another one who has had a magical season in Europe. The player of Arsenal, increasingly decisive and participative, scored 15 times in the Premier League alone, also providing another nine assists. Alongside Martin Odegaard, he is the face of the English Championship leader after 35 rounds.

Wirtz

Not having any player from the only undefeated team in the five big leagues would be a tremendous injustice. And if it’s to have a guy Bayer Leverkusen, it has to be the talented Florian Wirtz. Bundesliga champion and favorite to win the German Cup and Europa League, the team had the young German midfielder in great shape, even after spending almost the entire 2022 with a serious knee injury. His individual numbers in 23/24 are incredible: 18 goals and 19 assists in 45 matches, an average of almost one appearance per game.