The biggest, most irrefutable, argument for Vinicius Jr winning the 2024 Ballon d'Or isn't a single goal. Nor is it a number, or a trend. Rather, this player's impact can be best explained by a pre-season friendly against Barcelona in New York in August. Still recovering from the Copa America and perhaps slightly underprepared thanks to an hour-long lightning delay, Vinicius was introduced into the contest with 30 minutes to play.
He didn't score, nor did he assist. But in that cameo, with Vinicius still rusty and needing a few more weeks of holiday, everything that was great about the Brazilian was on display. There were the twists, turns, and stepovers, the bursts of pace down the line, the audacity to try a rainbow flick. The crowd - 82,000 in MetLife Stadium, mostly clad in Madrid white - rose to its feet every time he touched the ball.
And such was the deserved reaction for a player who has somehow remained out of the world-class conversation for far too long. Vinicius spent a lot of the early days of his Madrid career playing alongside more impactful players, and then even longer either being ignored or somehow underrated.
Last season, though, everything fell into place. Vinicius ended the season with a La Liga-Champions League double having played a starring role for his side, and always showed up in the big games. He made the Champions League his playground, and a return of 26 goals and 11 assists for club and country makes for fine reading.
The 2023-24 campaign wasn't the year that Vinicius came good, but it was the first year when he truly became a difference-maker. No one, then, is more deserving of the Ballon d'Or than the magical Brazilian.
