In 2022, Karim Benzema won the Ballon d’Or after helping Real Madrid to the Champions League title, number 14. Two years later, number 15 has arrived after Los Blancos defeated Borussia Dortmund 2-0 at Wembley Stadium on Saturday, and it would now be a major surprise if the Ballon d’Or trophy did not also end up in Madrid.
As per MD, Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Junior are the two frontrunners for the award, which will be handed out by France Football later this year. Equally, Toni Kroos is also in the reckoning, following his outstanding performances for Real Madrid in the 2023-24, which culminated in the assist for Dani Carvajal’s opening goal against Dortmund.
This summer’s international tournaments are expected to have a defining impact on who will win this year’s Ballon d’Or. Should Bellingham or Kroos help England or Germany respectively to win Euro 2024, or if Vinicius can lead Brazil to Copa America glory, it could make the difference for either candidate.
Any of the three would be worthy winners, and it highlights just how dominant Real Madrid are in the European football landscape at this moment.
