On Monday, the Ballon d’Or was awarded to Karim Benzema and while the Real Madrid striker deserved the honor, much of the debate centered not on who won it, but the list below, as Neymar Jr. got into the conversation.
The Paris Saint-Germain star went on Twitter Tuesday to slam the voting process for the honor, stating that Real Madrid’s Vini Jr. shouldn’t be in eighth place.
“Benzema deserved [Ballon d’Or] crack!!” Neymar tweeted. “Now for Vini Jr. to be at 8, it’s not possible. Minimum between [top] 3.”
Vini Jr. had a coming out form during the 2021-22 season and played a large role in Real Madrid marching toward another UEFA Champions League after defeating Liverpool.
Additionally, Vini Jr. further cemented himself on the Brazil national team squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
With the South American nation having plenty of forwards vying for the limited spots, last year’s performance really helped the 22-year-old separate himself from the competition.
Vini Jr. is now viewed as another piece to the puzzle that can help Neymar generate offense for Brazil as the national team attempts to end their 20-year World Cup drought.
