Vinicius Junior tipped for future Ballon d'Or win

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti is confident Vinicius Junior will win the Ballon d'Or during his career.

The 23-year-old is one of 30 players shortlisted for the 2023 award - reward for another superb year in the Spanish capital that saw him named in both La Liga and Champions League teams of the season, in addition to winning the Copa del Rey.

There hasn't been a Brazilian winner of the Ballon d'Or since 2007, when Kaka triumphed, and that's unlikely to change this year as Lionel Messi is widely expected to pick up a record-extending eighth trophy.

But although Vinicius may need to wait his turn to land arguably football's most prestigious individual prize, his manager Ancelotti believes his time will come at some point in the future.

Speaking to TNT Sports in the aftermath of Real Madrid's 2-1 win over Braga in the Champions League, Ancelotti said when asked if he could land the award: "Yes, Vinícius will win it soon."

Vinicius finished 2022/23 with a career-high 23 goals in all competitions, building on the foundations laid during his breakthrough year at Madrid. He is now widely regarded as one of the most dynamic forwards in world football, with his searing pace and regular end product enhancing his reputation tenfold.

He has also adapted to a new role in Madrid, with Jude Bellingham's arrival from Borussia Dortmund and Karim Benzema's departure seeing Ancelotti change his system to deploy Vinicius as a central striker instead of a left winger.

Expectations are again high in Madrid after a strong start to the 2023/24 season. Ancelotti's charges have won eight of their first ten La Liga games, scoring 21 goals in the process, and they've also won all three of their Champions League group stage matches.

Vinicius has played a significant role in Madrid's promising performances, starring alongside Bellingham, who has already himself to 11 goals in all competitions.

The former Flamengo star's form is all the more remarkable as he continues to be on the receiving end of racist abuse in Spain – though astonishingly a spokesperson for the Barcelona board of directors posted on X on Tuesday night (via COPE): "It's not racism, [Vinicius] deserves a slap for being a clown. What do these unnecessary and meaningless step overs represent in the centre of the field?"

The post was subsequently deleted, but not before teammate Rodrygo told reporters after being informed of the post: "I don't know if I can speak, they always encourage us not to speak, but it's pathetic. There's not much to say, very ugly."

Players with the most Ballon d'Or wins

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