'Exceptional' Vinicius Jr 'destined to win Ballon d'Or.'

Shortly after the match, Real Madrid fans were cheering for their forward Vinicius to earn the Ballon d'Or, and the Brazilian stated he wished to remain at the club for life.

Vinicius Jr. scored a magnificent hat-trick against Borussia Dortmund in a UEFA Champions League match that ended 5-2 in favor of Real Madrid. This match took place at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, even though they were 2-0 behind.

He could not have picked a better date for his treble than October 28th, which is the date the Ballon'd'Or, the most sought award in the individual football scene, will be handed out.

After the match, his manager, Carlo Ancelotti, branded Vinicius Jr. as ‘an extraordinary character’ and was adamant he ‘would win the Ballon d’Or’ based on his exploits the past season.

At 24 years of age, there is speculation that he is likely to win this award having helped Real win both the Spanish League and Champions League last season, where he scored in the latter’s final and was afterwards voted the tournament's MVP.

Away from the pitch, in 2021 Vinicius became the second player to be awarded the Sokrates Award for a football player with the most valuable humanitarian activities in the world.

Most of the football fans on social media feel that the Ballon d’Or race is over with the news of Nike planning to launch special external golden boots named Mercurial Vinicius Jr. two days after the trophy ceremony.

In any case, Vinicius Jr.'s contribution in the Champions League phase against Borussia Dortmund must be good for his cause.

How did Vinicius Jr. score his hat-trick against Dortmund?

Vinicius Jr. started the game with a tap-in to level the scores, and his last two spells with the ball against Dortmund were unforgettable.

With Real on the edge at 3-2 and a goal from Dortmund threatening to equalize the game, he decided to get the ball in his own half, went down the left wing using his pace to beat Emre Can, and scored with a shot from the edge of the box into the bottom corner.

He completed the hat-trick in stoppage time, driving from 40 yards, going platonic to three defenders, and scoring the third goal into the top corner of the net.

From there, he took off his shirt and ran towards the home fans cheering “Ballon D'or—Vinicius Ballon D’or.”

Vinicus Jr. further revealed to Spanish news outlet Movistar, “When our fans scream, my name is a dream—a dream turned to reality; I want to place in even more goals to reward them.”.

“I am aged 24 and looking to not leave Madrid for my entire life. A chance to repay all that I have received from this club is something I certainly want to do.”.

Who could rival Vinicius Jr. for the Ballon d'Or?

The shortlist for this year’s Ballon d'Or contains 30 names, among whom are the Englishmen Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden, Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, and Cole Palmer.

Rodri appears to be his closest rival after the Spanish midfielder helped storied English side Manchester City secure the Premier League title as well as assisted the Spanish national team in lifting the European championship last season.

But UK bettors have a different story, saying that Vinicius Jr. isn’t only a contender—he’s the favourite to win the award.

In the past year, he netted 26 times and assisted 12 times in 51 matches for both club and country and will join the likes of Michael Owen and Kaka, who were the only players not named Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo to win the prestigious award since 2007.

The other two names are teammate Luka Modric in 2018 and Karim Benzema in 2022. Not too bad company, if I might add.