query: Has Vinícius Júnior already secured the 2024 Ballon d'Or title?
It's being whispered that Real Madrid's Vinícius Júnior is the secret victor of the 2024 Ballon d'Or. The award, given out by French sports newspaper France Football, is scheduled to be announced on October 28th in Paris. But according to reports from Spanish newspaper Marca, Vinícius Júnior has allegedly been notified of his triumph prior to the formal ceremony.
However, France Football hasn't confirmed Vinícius Júnior as the 2024 Ballon d'Or laureate. It's speculated that the early notice given to him could ensure his attendance at the ceremony. Footballers aren't obligated to show up in person for the Ballon d'Or.
Thirty contenders vying for the 2024 Ballon d'Or
A total of thirty candidates are in the running for the 2024 Ballon d'Or. If Vinícius Júnior winds up taking home the trophy in October, he'll have outperformed a formidable lineup of European elite clubs. The following footballers are in the running for this year's award:
- Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid, England)
- Ruben Dias (Manchester City, Portugal)
- Phil Foden (Manchester City, England)
- Federico Valverde (Real Madrid, Uruguay)
- Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa, Argentina)
- Erling Haaland (Manchester City, Norway)
- Nico Williams (Athletic Bilbao, Spain)
- Granit Xhaka (Bayer Leverkusen, Switzerland)
- Artem Dovbyk (Girona/Roma, Ukraine)
- Toni Kroos (Real Madrid, Germany)
- Vinícius Júnior (Real Madrid, Brazil)
- Dani Olmo (RB Leipzig/Barcelona, Spain)
- Florian Wirtz (Bayer Leverkusen, Germany)
- Martin Odegaard (Arsenal, Norway)
- Mats Hummels (Borussia Dortmund, Germany)
- Rodri (Manchester City, Spain)
- Harry Kane (Bayern Munich, England)
- Declan Rice (Arsenal, England)
- Vitinha (PSG, Portugal)
- Cole Palmer (Chelsea, England)
- Dani Carvajal (Real Madrid, Spain)
- Lamine Yamal (Barcelona, Spain)
- Bukayo Saka (Arsenal, England)
- Hakan Calhanoglu (Inter Milan, Turkey)
- William Saliba (Arsenal, France)
- Kylian Mbappé (PSG/Real Madrid, France)
- Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan, Argentina)
- Ademola Lookman (Atalanta, Nigeria)
- Antonio Rüdiger (Real Madrid, Germany)
- Alejandro Grimaldo (Bayer Leverkusen, Spain)
But the pool of potential winners will be whittled down to just three before the ceremony. With Toni Kroos, Florian Wirtz, Mats Hummels, and Antonio Rüdiger, four Germans are up for the award. Jamal Musiala of Bayern Munich was a surprising omission from the nominees, despite his outstanding performances at the European Football Championship, which left some football fans and analysts puzzled.
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have dominated the Ballon d'Or for the past decade
The Ballon d'Or has been bestowed since 1956. Countless footballers have been honored with this esteemed award. In the last decade, however, either Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo have been the winners in most instances. Messi holds the record with eight victories, while Ronaldo has emerged victorious five times.
Messi or Ronaldo have claimed the Ballon d'Or eight out of the last ten years. Only Luka Modrić (2018) and Karim Benzema (2022) have snatched it away from these two footballing titans in the past decade.
Five German players - Gerd Müller, Franz Beckenbauer, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Lothar Matthäus, and Matthias Sammer - have won the coveted award thus far. The last German to win the Ballon d'Or was Matthias Sammer in 1996, during his stint with Borussia Dortmund.
Online sportsbook operators withdraw Ballon d'Or bets
Avid sports bettors had the option to lay their wagers on the 2024 Ballon d'Or champion with a few bookmakers prior to the ceremony. However, these bets have since been withdrawn.
This possibly ties into the rumor that Vinícius Jr. has been named the expected victor of the 2024 Ballon d'Or. Here are the typical odds from betting platforms prior to this information going public:
- Vinícius Jr. (1.35)
- Rodri (2.70)
- Jude Bellingham (12.00)
- Dani Carvajal (25.00)
- Lamine Jammeh (38.00)
- Kylian Mbappé (38.00)
- Lautaro Martínez (45.00)
- Toni Kroos (65.00)
- Harry Kane (90.00)
- Florian Wirtz (90.00)
Betting houses were giving Vinícius Jr. the highest probability of clinching the Ballon d'Or 2024. Rodri from Manchester City was also regarded as a strong contender. We'll have to wait and see if Vinícius Jr. will indeed take home the Ballon d'Or on October 28.
Despite the early notification to Vinícius Júnior about potentially winning the 2024 Ballon d'Or, online sportsbook operators have withdrawn bets on the award due to the speculation. Germany has four contenders for the Ballon d'Or with Toni Kroos, Florian Wirtz, Mats Hummels, and Antonio Rüdiger in the running, but online casinos in Germany also offer odds on this prestigious award.
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