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Michael Owen Names Favourites To Win 2024 Ballon d’Or Award
Former Liverpool and Manchester United forward, Micahel Owen, has identified Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Junior as the top contenders for the 2024 Ballon d’Or award.
However, Owen believes that should England win the Euro 2024 tournament currently ongoing in Germany, Bellingham will likely win the award ahead of Brazil’s Vinicius.
Sportxparte reports that Bellingham and Vinicius stood out for Real Madrid in the previous season.
The duo were instrumental to Real Madrid’s victory in both the Champions League and La Liga.
“Bellingham has obviously done great. If England go and have a great Euros, then he would be the obvious one. Vinícius Júnior has done equally well,” Owen said, as quoted by DAZN.
“You have just got to wait for the Euros, haven’t you? If Mbappe goes and scores a hat trick again in a final, like he did in the World Cup, he could be a late runner.
“As things stand, it probably looks like it is a toss-up between those two, Vinicius Junior and Bellingham, but there is still the biggest tournament to go of the year, so things can change.”
In a recent interview, Real Madrid’s Dani Carvajal picked Vinicius Junior, as the deserving recipient of the 2024 Ballon d’Or award.
As per the Spain international, Vinicius’ outstanding performances throughout the season, despite injury setbacks, make him a strong contender for the prestigious accolade.
Vinicius showcased his talent in 39 matches for Real Madrid during the 2023-24 season, scoring 24 goals and providing 11 assists for the team.
His contributions were instrumental in Real Madrid’s victories in both La Liga and the UEFA Champions League under the guidance of Carlo Ancelotti.
When asked about his top choice for the Ballon d’Or this year, Carvajal expressed his support for Vinicius during a chart with MARCA.
“Ballon d’Or? The one I see with the most options is Vinicius. He was injured for three month but this didn’t stop him from scoring many goals and be decisive in the Champions League and La Liga.
“He and Bellingham may be the ones who can win,” the Real Madrid right-back said.
