“Unfair that he didn't win the Ballon d’Or” - Barcelona legend Ronaldinho insists Real Madrid star deserved to win Ballon d'Or

Former Barcelona star and Brazil legend Ronaldinho claims that Real Madrid's Vincius Junior deserved to win the Ballon d'Or. While Ronaldinho failed to mention which year he was talking about, it seems reasonable to think that he was referring to the 2024 ceremony.

Last time, Manchester City's Rodri was awarded the prize after he won the Premier League with the Cityzens and the European Championships with Spain. Meanwhile, Vinicius managed to win La Liga and the UEFA Champions League with Los Blancos, playing a crucial part in both triumphs.

Claiming that his fellow countryman deserved to win the Ballon d'Or, Ronaldinho told MARCA:

“It's unfair that Vini Jr. didn't win the Ballon d’Or. He's been dominating the most important competitions for years now, while scoring decisive goals in Champions League finals to win them. He DESERVED the Ballon d’Or."

Expand Tweet

In the 2023/24 campaign, the Brazilian winger managed to score 25 goals in 40 matches across competitions. In this season, he's played 50 matches across competitions, bagging 20 goals and 16 assists.

Vinicius is not widely considered to be in the running for this prize in 2025, with Real Madrid failing to win any major competitions. Meanwhile, Barcelona stars Raphinha and Lamine Yamal, and Paris Saint-Germain's Ousmane Dembele are considered front-runners.

Former Real Madrid boss Fabio Capello has backed Barcelona youngster Lamine Yamal to win Ballon d'Or in 2025

Former Real Madrid manager Fabio Capello has backed Lamine Yamal to win the 2025 Ballon d'Or award. Giving his preference list, with the club season nearly over, he said (via Barca Universal):

"I would vote for Lamine Yamal for the Ballon d’Or. My votes would be: Vinicius, Mbappe and, first, Lamine Yamal.”

So far this season, Yamal has played 54 matches across competitions, bagging 18 goals and 25 assists. Lavishing praise on the youngster, but asking for more before he gets on the same footing with some of the greats, Capello added:

"Lamine Yamal is a player with a lot of quality and can improve a lot, but I don’t see him as a phenomenon. Messi or Maradona did things that no one could have imagined, but right now I can’t compare him to them."

Yamal has managed to win the La Liga title and the Copa del Rey with Barcelona this season. However, they failed to get into the Champions League final, losing to Inter Milan in the final four stage.

About the author

Rahul has been a European football journalist for Sportskeeda since 2023. A B.B.A. L.L.B. graduate, he captained his university football team and also played for Boca Juniors Football School during his initial years, and also coached his university's girls team. He always aims to translate his tactical awareness, knowledge of the sport and first-hand experience into well-researched articles for his readers.

A follower of the beautiful game since 2014, Rahul is an avid Arsenal and a match-going Bengaluru FC fan. His favorite footballer is Mesut Ozil due to his love for nimble-footed playmakers, while his favorite manager is the legendary Arsene Wenger owing to the Frenchman's attractive style of football.

Rahul, whose favorite FIFA World Cup moment is Lionel Messi lifting the trophy in 2022, has interviewed grassroots expert Tom Byer in the past and gained insight into Japanese football. He also believes Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland can rule the footballing world and take Ronaldo and Messi's place.

When he is not writing, Rahul likes to spend his time playing football, following the Indian Super League and watching other sports. He is also a huge cricket fan and supports Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

Know More

Edited by Rahul Naresh