Vinicius Junior: Neymar Joins Karim Benzema in Backing Real Madrid Star to Win Ballon d’Or

• Neymar Junior has thrown his weight behind Vinicius Junior as the race for the 2024 Ballon d'Or heats up following the conclusion of the 2023-24 season
• Vini Jr. played a starring role as Real Madrid sealed a 15th Champions League trophy, having already bagged the Spanish La Liga title early on
• The Brazilian, as it stands, is in a three-horse race with Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe for the most coveted individual award in football

Brazil and Al-Hilal superstar, Neymar Junior, has revealed where his allegiance lies for the 2024 Ballon d'Or.

The 32-year-old made his revelation days after the UEFA Champions League final, which saw his compatriot, Vinicius Junior, guide Real Madrid to another triumph.

Vini scored the decisive second goal as Los Blancos rode their luck to down Borussia Dortmund 2-0 in the final at Wembley on Saturday, June 1.

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His goal made him the second-only player to score in two Champions League finals after Lionel Messi, following his solitary goal in the 2021–22 grand finale against Liverpool and his strike against BVB in the 2023–24 face-off.

The 23-year-old's match-winner against Dortmund brought his tally for the just-ended campaign to 35 goal contributions (24 goals and 11 assists) in 38 appearances across all competitions, per Transfermarkt.

The former Flamengo prodigy's overall performance in the campaign has shot him up as the leading candidate to win this year's Ballon d'Or alongside teammates Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe.

Neymar roots for Vinicius to win Ballon d'Or

Reflecting on Vini Jr.'s performance in the season under review, Neymar stressed the camaraderie he shares with the Real Madrid frontman while opening up about his intentions to support him in his quest for the Golden Ball prize.

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"We have a wonderful relationship," the now Al-Hilal forward said, as cited by Tribuna.

"I love Vini, he is a great friend that football introduced me to. I will definitely be rooting for him to win the Ballon d'Or."

Benzema backs Vinicius for Ballon d'Or

In the same vein, legendary Real Madrid striker, Karim Benzema, has named the player he believes should win the 2024 Ballon d'Or award, as reported by Sports Brief.

Despite Jude Bellingham being considered a frontrunner for the coveted prize after a stellar debut season at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, the now Al-Ittihad star has a different opinion.

Benzema expressed his thoughts on Instagram, as he appeared to back Vinicius for this year's Ballon d'Or award.