Endrick Believes Vinicius Junior Most Deserving Of Ballon D'Or

Endrick believes no one deserves the Ballon d'Or more than his future Real Madrid team-mate Vinicius Junior, as his compatriot prepares for Saturday's Champions League final. Vinicius, who scored the decisive goal against Liverpool in the 2022 final, is aiming for his second European title with Los Blancos, who face Borussia Dortmund at Wembley.

The 23-year-old has been directly involved in the most goals in the Champions League since the start of the 2021-22 season, with 31 contributions (16 goals and 15 assists). His tally of 17 goals in the knockout stages is also the highest during this period. Vinicius and Endrick will soon be team-mates at club level, with the teenage sensation set to join Madrid from Palmeiras on his 18th birthday in July.

Before that, both players will focus on leading Brazil's campaign at the Copa America. Endrick believes that success in this tournament will bolster Vinicius' chances of winning football's most prestigious individual award. "Vini is a reference. A star," the 17-year-old said. "No one deserves the Ballon d'Or more than him this year. I think our group at the Copa America will be looking not only at winning the title but also helping him to win this award."

Endrick made these comments ahead of his final game for Palmeiras, where he was moved to tears by the supporters' reception during the Copa Libertadores clash with San Lorenzo. Brazil's youngest international since Pele in 1957—and their youngest scorer following his goal against England in March—Endrick will watch Madrid for the last time as a fan on Saturday.

He has been closely monitoring his new team-mates while absorbing as much information as possible before joining them after the Copa America. "Real have to win on Saturday. I have been so focused on my farewell game [with Palmeiras] that I didn't even realise it [was Madrid's last game without me]," he added.

"I watch a lot of games, but not always live because it's not possible due to our schedule. I end up studying the team more than cheering. I often already know the result when I'm watching. Watching a game is different for us players who train and travel all the time. We look at other things; pay more attention to some elements than others. That's why I like to watch without any fuss."

Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadriden) May 30, 2024