Karim Benzema has fumed out his descending views with regards to the Ballon D’or award not given to Vinicius Jr.
On October 29, 2024, the former Real Madrid center-forward, Karim Benzema in an interview with Chiringuito TV, a media house based in Spain claimed that, in the 2024 footballing year under review, his former teammate, Vinicius Jr made a lot of positive impact for his club hence deserved the men’s best player award.
“I spoke to Vini, he is sad… it is also normal. He deserved to win the Ballon D’or. I have nothing against Rodri, good player… but I am in my sofa watching TV and Rodri does not do anything that makes you say: wow,” Karim Benzema iterated.
In the 2023/24 campaign, Vinicius Jr made twenty-six appearances in the Spanish La-Liga, scoring fifteen goals and providing six assists. Plus, he also made ten appearances for Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League, finding the back of the net six times and five assists.
Vinicius Jr had failed to score in last season Copa Del Rey but recorded an assist while he scored three goals and no assist in the SuperCopa Cup. In all, an aggregate of thirty-five goal contributions in all competition, that is, twenty four goals and eleven assists for a left attacking-winger.
His goal contributions aided his club, Real Madrid in securing the Spanish La-Liga title, SuperCopa trophy, and the UEFA Champions League as they humbled Borussia Dortmund in the finals at the Wembley Sports stadium in English.
Following Vinicius Jr performance in his club side, he failed woefully in replicating these performances in the Brazil national team. In the Copa America, the Brazil national team after struggling to qualify out of a group involving Costa Rica, Paraguay, and Colombia had to face a bitter taste of defeat from Uruguay in the round of sixteen stage.
Flipping the coin to the eventual winner of the Ballon D’or, Rodrigo Hernandez Cascante helped his team, Manchester City, as a defensive-midfielder, to win the English premier league title, FIFA Club World Cup, Carabao Cup while in his national team, his impact in the Spain national propelled the team to brush away all team in the 2024 UEFA nations league to clinch on to the trophy and was adjudged the player of the tournament.