Carlo Ancelotti makes Vinicius Junior Ballon d’Or prediction
Carlo Ancelotti makes Vinicius Junior Ballon d’Or prediction. Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti expects Vinicius Junior to be crowned this year’s Ballon d’Or winner and have even backed the Brazilian to win the prize again in 2025 after his sensational hat-trick against Borussia Dortmund.
Having fallen to a surprising 2-0 deficit before halftime, Los Blancos roared to a stunning 5-2 victory which was inspired by a hat-trick from Vinicius, who tapped home the equaliser before netting two glorious goals late on.
While Ancelotti was correct to remind fans that Vinicius’ performance will not technically count when it comes to the voting for the 2024 Ballon d’Or, which will be announced on Monday, the Madrid boss expects to see the Brazilian take home the prize regardless.
“It’s rare to see a player perform like Vinicius did in the second half, not just with the goals, but with an extraordinary energy, intensity, and character,” Ancelotti told a press conference.
“I think he’s going to win the Ballon d’Or for what he did last year, helping us win the Champions League, not for today’s three goals, which will count towards next year’s Ballon d’Or.”
