Back in 2023, Real Madrid superstar Vinicius Jr. revealed that there was only one club he was willing to leave Los Blancos for if the opportunity arose. The 24-year-old winger is widely regarded as one of the most exciting talents at the Santiago Bernabeu, which makes it unlikely that he would want to leave.
However, if his former club Flamengo came calling for him, he would have to decide whether to stay or leave Madrid. He revealed as much during an interview with L'Equipe, where he spoke about life in the Spanish capital. He explained (via SPORTbible):
"I think I could stay here my whole career, but the club of my life is Flamengo. I love life here in general, and it's going well for my family too. When my loved ones walk around, they are recognised and they wish us nothing but happiness. Little by little, I discovered this new life, new emotions, a fervour..."
Indeed, Vinicius Jr came through the ranks at Flamengo, where he played 69 games for the first team, scoring 14 goals and providing five assists. He began in the youth ranks at the club in 2006, breaking into the first team in 2017. That same year, Real Madrid moved to sign him, with his transfer to the Bernabeu happening in 2018 after his 18th birthday.
He has since grown to become one of the most exciting players in the world, winning the UEFA Champions League twice with Madrid since the turn of the decade. He has also become one of their most important players, having been nominated for the 2024 Ballon d'Or, which he is widely expected to win.
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti convinced Vinicius Jr will win Ballon d'Or
Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti is convinced that Vinicius Jr. will win the Ballon d'Or this year. The Brazilian winger was one of the best players in the world last season. He helped Los Blancos to the La Liga title, Champions League trophy, and Supercopa de Espana.
He scored 24 goals and provided 11 assists in 39 games across all competitions, putting him up as a strong contender for the highly coveted award. Speaking about Vinicius Jr after he scored a hat-trick against Borussia Dortmund on October 22, Ancelotti told the press (via Al Jazeera):
“Vinicius is going to win [the Ballon d’Or], not for what he did tonight, but for what he did last year. These three goals are already going to count for next year’s Ballon d’Or, that’s for sure. He is a player who gets whistled at because he can make a difference.”
The Ballon d'Or ceremony will take place in Paris on October 28, and Ancelotti will be hoping that the Real Madrid winger can, indeed, take the award home.