Vinicius Junior's Ballon d'Or Pursuit: Why Vini Deserves It Over Jude Bellingham

• Vinicius Junior has quickly turned the Ballon d'Or race into a two-way battle
• Jude Bellingham was long perceived as the frontrunner for the top honour
• Sports Brief looks at why Vinicius deserves it more than his club teammate

Following Real Madrid's mouthwatering game against Bayern Munich on May 8, Vinicius Junior was given the man of the match award after another scintillating display.

To get the personal award when your teammate has come off the bench and scored two goals to win the game speaks immense volumes about the kind of livewire Vinicius was the whole night.

Of all the players who looked capable of troubling the German side, he rose to the occasion, only thwarted repeatedly by a series of good saves from Manuel Neuer - until the late blunder.

Who are the top 10 ranked Juventus legends of all time?

Football

If the first leg at the Allianz Arena hadn't convinced you why the Brazilian deserved a piece of the 2024 Ballon d'Or debate, then perhaps his performance in the Spanish capital tipped you over.

The conversation for the 2024 Golden Ball has been dominated by Jude Bellingham, who has practically been everywhere for Real Madrid since joining from Borussia Dortmund. His goals in La Liga - 18 of them, including late ones against Barcelona in El Clasico - have by and large aided his course.

Why Vinicius has an edge over Bellingham in Ballon d'Or

If they beat Dortmund in the June 1 final, he will have won three trophies in his first season in Spain, and we all know how the Champions League matters in this race. Of course, unless you are Lionel Messi and you have won the World Cup.

Revealed! 15 times Cristiano Ronaldo surprised the football world

Football

Not many can argue against Bellingham's candidacy for the Ballon d'Or.

However, the award takes into consideration how individual performances helped teams win big trophies. The ability to shine out during crucial moments of the season often gives a player an upper hand and this is where Vinicius Junior comes in.

Vinicius Junior's impressive Champions League statistics

The 23-year-old has come alive in the knockout stages of the Champions League, getting a goal involvement in every round. He scored against RB Leipzig in the second leg of Round of 16, grabbed two assists against Manchester City in the quarter-final, then scored a brace in Germany in the last four.

Bellingham only has one goal involvement in the Champions League knockouts.

In La Liga, the Englishman takes the lead, but his teammate is not far off either. According to La Liga statistics, Vinicius has 13 goals and five assists compared to Bellingham's 18 goals and four assists. Negligible difference, no?

Casemiro's stats: How has the Brazilian midfielder transformed Manchester United since joining the team?

Football

With the final fast approaching, this could be Bellingham's opportunity to swing the tides back to his favour by putting an all-timer performance against his old side. Vinicius already has the experience in deciding finals after scoring the winner against Liverpool in 2022.

The Euro 2024 and Copa America factor

The summer competitions will also play a pivotal role. Bellingham is expected to star in England's squad at the Euros as Vinicius leads Brazil in Copa America. Winning the competitions or reaching the latter stages while playing a decisive role might be integral in deciding who wins it.

As it stands, Bellingham might have a narrow lead, but Vinicius' statistics in the superior Champions League gives him an edge. If the vote were to be held today, you can't fault anyone who would choose to side with the former Flamengo forward.

Carlo Ancelotti speaks out on the Ballon d'Or

Zlatan Ibrahimović, Thierry Henry and Neymar among the 10 greatest players never to win coveted Ballon d'Or

Football

Sports Brief has also reported that Carlo Ancelotti has backed Vinicius Junior to win the Ballon d'Or.

The Real Madrid manager admitted that his star winger was close to winning the individual honour.

Los Blancos beat German giants, Bayern, on aggregate to set up a final against Borussia Dortmund.