A Real Madrid star has reportedly already been told he will be crowned the Ballon d’Or winner next month in Paris.
There are apparently already plans to dedicate the Nike store on Madrid’s Gran Via in his honour, with a gold theme and his image on display.
Los Blancos have dominated the award in recent years, with Lionel Messi the only non-Madrid star to win the prize since 2008, when it was won by… Cristiano Ronaldo after his season with Manchester United.
Messi leads the pack with eight Ballon d’Ors over the years, while Ronaldo has five, but neither of them have made the shortlist for the first time since 2003.
This year’s list of nominees includes Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappé, Vinicius Jr., Antonio Rudiger and Federico Valverde from Madrid’s current generation of stars, while recently retired Toni Kroos is also on there.
A Real Madrid star has reportedly been informed that he has won the Ballon d’Or
Six players who were at Madrid last season have been proposed for the award
Many fans have been betting on Jude Bellingham to take home the crowd after a record-breaking year.
Modric won the award in 2018 after reaching the World Cup final with Croatia.
There have been calls for his long-time midfield partner Toni Kroos to collect the trophy for the first time despite having already hung up his boots.
Many consider him to have had one of his best seasons in 2023-24, having secured another LaLiga medal and a Champions League trophy.
Jude Bellingham also has his defenders after enjoying a record-breaking debut season in the Spanish capital.
He scored 23 goals and provided 13 assists to make his name known on the big stage, also helping England reach the final of Euro 2024.
And what about Kylian Mbappé, who arrived this summer from PSG on a free transfer but is, for many, the best player in the world?
According BrandIt is Vinicius Jr. who ‘already knows’ that he has won the Ballon d’Or.
The Brazilian sealed victory in the Champions League final with a fine finish in the 83rd minute to make it 2-0 against Borussia Dortmund.
Marca reports that Vinicius Jr. has been told he will win the award in October in Paris
He also scored a quick-fire hat-trick in the first half of the Spanish Super Cup final, assisting the other goal in a 4-1 win over Barcelona.
With 24 goals and 11 assists in all competitions, he is a strong candidate to receive football’s highest personal honour in Paris on October 28.
Journalists from FIFA’s 100 highest-ranked member countries vote for the award.
