"He deserves this award for everything he did this season" - Rivaldo claims Brazil star deserves Ballon d'Or despite early Copa America exit

Brazilian legend Rivaldo believes that despite his Copa America exit, Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr. should win the 2024 Ballon d'Or. The former striker, who claimed the prize in 1999, himself believes his compatriot has done enough to claim the prize this year.

Vinicius Jr enjoyed a fine year, with Los Blancos that saw him score 24 goals and provide 11 assists in 39 games across competitions. He helped the Spanish giants win La Liga, the UEFA Champions League, and Supercopa de Espana.

In a recent interview, Rivaldo hailed the Los Blancos star for his exploits in the recently concluded season, saying (via SPORT):

“The end of the season is the Copa America and the Euro Cup, so it can have an effect, of course. In fact, these competitions make people start thinking about other names and candidates. But even though he lost with Brazil, I think he deserves this award for everything he did this season.”

Vinicius Jr was impressive in the Copa America campaign with Brazil scoring two goals in three games before their elimination by Uruguay in the quarterfinals. The Real Madrid star was suspended for the clash against La Celeste. Regardless, he will be keen to claim the Ballon d'Or award in October, becoming the first Brazilian since Kaka in 2007.

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Ballon d'Or winner Rivaldo criticizes how Brazil used Endrick at Copa America

Brazilian legend Rivaldo has criticized how manager Dorival Junior played Endrick at Copa America 2024. The 1999 Ballon d'Or winner believes the country put too much weight on the shoulders of the youngster, who was not ready to play at that level.

The 17-year-old has had high expectations thrust on him in recent years and while he is immensely talented he is still at the beginning of his career. The Palmerias striker has made 10 appearances for the Selecao, scoring three goals. However, he failed to find the back of the net in his four appearances at the continental tournament.

Rivaldo, who made registered 35 goals and 17 assists in 76 appearances for the Selecao, believes Endrick was not used well by the manager. He said:

"Something is not right when you see that the coach takes out veterans who make the difference to try to win in the last minutes of the game. And even so, you keep a 17-year-old like Endrick, who, with all due respect, is going to be a great player… but he was lost.”

He concluded:

"Endrick couldn’t play. He wanted to win, but he was lost and couldn’t play. The match was very tough, with lots of clashes and high physical tension,”

Endrick will hope to match the career of Rivaldo, who claimed the Ballon d'Or, Copa America, and World Cup.