“Ronaldo and Ronaldinho tell me each day to win the Ballon d’Or,” says Vinicius Jr
Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr has stated that many Brazil legends, including the likes of Ronaldo and Ronaldinho, expect him to lift the prestigious individual prize.
In a CNN interview, Vinicius Jr said he follows the footsteps of his legendary compatriots, who played a key role as Los Blancos won the La Liga and Champions League last campaign.
Vinicius Jr, also shared his ambitions for the ongoing season, as the Ballon d’Or awards close in. Moreover, in the exclusive, he shared his thoughts about the new team-up with Kylian Mbappe and much more.
“I have Kaká as an example, I have Ronaldo who won the award twice, I have Ronaldinho, Rivaldo, a lot of Brazilian players who have won the Ballon d’Or. But without a doubt, Ronaldo and Ronaldinho are the ones I’m closest with, who tell me every day that I have to win the Ballon d’Or.”
Vinicius Jr commented on his experience training with Real Madrid legend Ronaldo Nazario:
“I was with Ronaldo just now when I was in Ibiza and trained at his house and he told me: ‘Train here a few more days, so you are closer to the Ballon d’Or.’
“They are players who did incredible things and to be able to compete for the Ballon d’Or and to win an award that they won, that would be something really incredible.”
The influence of women’s footballer Marta, who won the silver at the 2024 Paris Olympic games, and her retirement from International football was also a topic of discussion with Vinicius Jr.
“I have to talk about Marta, who is the greatest to ever play the [women’s game]. I have great affection for her because I believe she changed the sport and put women’s football on the level it deserves.
“Women’s football is growing day by day and Marta was one of the pioneers,” he said. “Marta is for us is what Pelé was for everyone in Brazil, like Ayrton Senna, she’s from a level where there is one person in every million.”
Kylian Mbappe‘s arrival has made the team complete says Vinicius, as the team can now compete for every prize for the next decade, amid rumors of his move to Saudi.
“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, Modrić, Nacho and Kroos, who won six,” he said.
“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.”
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