The Ballon d’Or will be presented this month, and there’s no clear-cut favorite to win the honor. Nonetheless, while speaking to TNT Sports Brazil, Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique shared who he thinks will win the honor.
There’s no clear favorite for this year’s Ballon d’Or, but Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham are both strong contenders after helping Real Madrid win the UEFA Champions League and LaLiga last season.
However, neither player added more silverware to strengthen their case over the summer. Bellingham did make it to the UEFA Euro 2024 final, while Brazil had an early exit in the knockout stage.
While Enrique isn’t a fan of individual awards, the Spanish tactician notes that he wants to see Real Madrid’s Brazilian star secure the honor.
“Who’s going to win it? Do you guys know? I hope it’s Vinícius Júnior, a Brazilian,” Enrique told the Brazilian media outlet. “He’d deserve it, for sure. But honestly, as a coach, I don’t really care much about these individual awards. I don’t believe in them at all.
“They’re just part of the marketing. Yeah, they recognize a player who’s done well, scored a lot, and won titles, but without the team, a player is nothing. So, congrats to whoever wins, whether it’s Vinícius or someone else, but I’ll always value the team more.”
O Luis Enrique não tá preocupado com prêmios individuais, mas concorda que a Bola de Ouro é do VINI JR! 😎🇧🇷 Se liga no que disse o treinador do PSG!
Você acompanha a premiação da Bola de Ouro com a gente na TNT e na Max! ⭐🤩
Já PSG x PSV, no Space e na Max! #CasaDaChampions pic.twitter.com/ERsgEn104Z
— TNT Sports BR (@TNTSportsBR) October 22, 2024
Lionel Messi, the reigning Ballon d’Or winner, is choosing another candidate to win the award. It’s not his former PSG teammate Kylian Mbappé but Lautaro Martinez, his teammate on the Argentine national team and current Inter Milan standout.
