Reports: Vinicius Junior to win first-ever Ballon d'Or in Paris next week

Although a number of elite athletes are vying for the coveted prize on October 28, Vinicius Junior and Rodri have been touted as the two front-runners. Rodri assisted Manchester City achieve the Premier League for the fourth time in a row and then led Spain to victory in the 2024 European Championship, while Vinicius was a key player in Los Blancos' victories in La Liga and the UEFA Champions League.

Spain is reporting that Vinicius Junior will win the Ballon d'Or. Last season, the Real Madrid forward contributed 24 goals to his team's UEFA Champions League and La Liga victories. He is the favorite to win football's most prestigious award because of his incredible play. He has officially been declared the winner by AS in Spain.

The Brazil international scored in the 2-0 victory against Borussia Dortmund during the UCL final, capping off an incredible 2023–24 campaign. The Paris Theatre du Chatelet will host the 2024 Ballon d'Or ceremony on Monday, October 28.

The bookmakers already had Vinicius Jr. as their favorite to take home the coveted award. Jude Bellingham and Dani Carvajal, his colleagues from Real Madrid, were also considered. According to a Marca source from last month, sponsors Nike already started preparing to redesign its Madrid location in honor of Vini Jr. 's victory following the ceremony.

"He will definitely win the Ballon d'Or" : Neymar

Brazil superstar Neymar has backed his countryman, believing that the Real Madrid star ought to lift the Golden Ball this year. Previously, Ederson had chosen Vinicius Jr. to win the trophy against clubmate Rodri.

Neymar said, "He had a great season, he played a lot of games and I will be supporting him because he will definitely win the Ballon d'Or. I hope he returns to Brazil soon with the trophy, he is a guy who deserves it because he is a fighter, he suffered a lot throughout his life, he was able to exceed all expectations, he overcame all the criticism they made about him."