 |
| Vinicius Junior of Real Madrid celebrates scoring his team's second goal during the LaLiga EA Sports match between Real Madrid CF and UD Almeria at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on January 21, 2024 in Madrid, Spain. |
Real Madrid defender Eder Militao has said that Vinicius Jr should win the Ballon d’Or ahead of his teammate Jude Bellingham.
Militao caused a bit of worry during Real Madrid’s recent match against Alaves at Santiago Bernabeu when he got into a tussle with Samu Omorodion, resulting in a hurt to his right knee.
However, the Brazilian player, both on the field and later in the mixed zone, assured everyone that it wasn’t a serious issue.
“My feelings are good, the knee thing was nothing,” he was quoted by Mundo Deportivo.
Thoughts on Vinicius Jr
Speaking about one of the goalscorers, Vinicius, the Brazil defender was asked to reveal his pick between his national compatriot and his Real Madrid teammate, Bellingham. The context was who is worthy of winning the Ballon d’Or this year, to which he said,
“Vinicius, Vinicius.
“For me, Vini is the best in the world and if he continues like this it won’t take him long to win the Ballon d’Or,” he added.
Against Alaves, Vinicius scored two goals for Real Madrid and played amazingly as a striker on the left side, giving the Alaves’ defence a hard time.
He carried the team, moving in from the flank, popping up in the middle, and drawing opponents away to create space. People in the stands even mentioned he is playing like a Ballon d’Or contender.
However, he also got a yellow card for a tough tackle on Ruben Duarte.
Meanwhile, in the second half, Militao, who has been gradually returning to the game after a serious knee injury, made a misstep during a jump with Omorodion and ended up touching his knee.
The stadium fell quiet, understanding the struggles Militao has faced. Thankfully, it was his right knee, not the one previously injured.
After a brief moment of concern and discussion with his teammates, Militao carried on playing until he was substituted around the 70th minute for Rüdiger.
The coming weeks could be important for Real Madrid as they look to nail down the future of not only one but three veteran players.
Toni Kroos is among those players having their contract expiring at the end of the season. Real Madrid are working on a deal to extend his contract that could see Kroos stay another season at Santiago Bernabeu.
Toni Kroos is happy in Spain
Amid speculation over his future, Toni Kroos has expressed his delight in Spain and hinted that he would want to continue his ongoing spell.
“I have found a home outside of Germany in Madrid. I am very comfortable here, there are many people who love me and make me happy,” he said (h/t Arancha Rodriguez).
Kroos, who went through a difficult exit from Bayern Munich back in 2014, has enjoyed a brilliant spell at Real Madrid.
During his time at the club, the German has racked up 462 competitive appearances, notably winning four Champions League titles.
Kroos’ comments suggest he would like to continue at Real Madrid, even though there were suggestions that he might retire early.
The chances of the midfielder’s prolonged stay at Bernabeu will be reinforced by the fact that Kroos has, in fact, returned from international retirement and will play for Germany in the upcoming European Championship.
As Kroos continues to play at the highest level, there is no reason why he shouldn’t continue at Real Madrid, at least for another year.
Real Madrid, for their part, value Kroos highly due to his experience and leadership, which could be key in mentoring an otherwise inexperienced midfield unit.
In the meantime, the German international will be eyeing his fifth Champions League title with Real Madrid as Los Blancos take on Borussia Dortmund in the final next month.
Want to know more about football flame check out our article