After his phenomenal performance against Borussia Dortmund on Matchday 3 of the UEFA Champions League, Vinicius Junior has earned an impressive accolade ahead of the 2024 Ballon d’Or ceremony.

This week will undoubtedly go down in the history of European football, particularly in the record books of Vinicius Junior’s achievements. Touted as the future 2024 Ballon d’Or winner, the 24-year-old commanded even more admiration last Tuesday in the Champions League match against Borussia Dortmund. Once again starting in Carlo Ancelotti’s line-up, the Brazilian winger completely silenced Nuri Sahin’s Borussia Dortmund with a sensational hat-trick. Named man of the match in the 5-2 victory, Vinicius has now added another trophy to his collection.

UEFA crowns Vinicius

Indeed, after the third round of the Champions League Playoffs, UEFA named the Madrid winger as the Player of the Week. Despite Raphinha’s hat-trick for FC Barcelona on Wednesday, Vinicius Junior earned this honour largely due to the incredible turnaround in a match where Real Madrid trailed 2-0 at half-time.

Just hours before the major Clasico between these two giants, Vinicius Junior made a strong statement, further establishing himself as the best player in the world right now. On Monday, the Madrid winger will have the chance to win his first Ballon d’Or, crowning his achievements from last season.

If he continues to be decisive in Real Madrid’s crucial matches this season, the Brazilian international, who has the backing of most of his compatriots, could achieve a stunning double with the Ballon d’Or. In any case, the season is still in its early stages, and we await the next performances from Carlo Ancelotti’s protégé, who will need to shine once again on Saturday against Barça.