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According to CNN, Real Madrid superstar Vinicius Junior has emerged as the favorite to win this year's Ballon d'Or. The Brazilian forward was one of the key players in the Los Blancos side during their successful campaign last season.
The 24-year-old was irresistible for the Spanish giants in the previous campaign, bagging 24 goals and 11 assists in 39 appearances to help the legendary team to an unprecedented 15th UEFA Champions League crown.
Vini Junior has picked up where he left off last season, bagging two assists from his opening three games as the Madrid-based side aims to retain their La Liga and Champions League crowns. His impressive performances see him emerge as a front-runner to claim the Ballon d'Or and would make him the first Brazilian to claim the prize since Kaka in 2007.
The Real Madrid star will be keen to strengthen his claim to the award when he and his teammates line up to face Canary Island side Las Palmas in La Liga tomorrow (August 29).
Ballon d'Or front-runner Vinicius Junior confident of more success with Real Madrid
Real Madrid superstar and Ballon d'Or contender, Vinicius Junior is confident of achieving more success with the team this season. Speaking about his motivations and drives with the team, the Brazilian said (via GOAL):
"I always play to be among the best and, each day that passes at Real Madrid, I feel more confident. I’ve already won two Champions Leagues and I play with others who already won six – [Dani] Carvajal also has won six and they motivate us each day to play beyond our limits and that everything is possible with the team we have now."
"We already made it this far [winning two Champions Leagues in three years], it was really hard. But to stay at the highest level, it’s much harder, so I want to stay at this level for a long time and be able to win as many Champions League as Carvajal, [Luka] Modrić, Nacho and Toni [Kroos], who won six."
The Brazilian concluded:
"We might have one of the best teams for the next decade, and now, we have to show on the pitch that we can perform. And I, along with my teammates, each time, each game we play, we can get closer to winning Real Madrid more titles."
The two-time UEFA Champions League winner has been at the club since 2018 and believes the history and legacy of the club will motivate him and his teammates to achieve more.
