Barcelona defender Inigo Martinez named Real Madrid superstar Vinicius Jr. as favorite to win the 2024 Ballon d’Or. Martinez’s comments come ahead of the Blaugrana’s La Liga showdown against Los Blancos at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday, October 26.

Vinicius is one of the favorites to win the Ballon d’Or this year, an award which would be awarded based on performances in the 2023-24 season. The ceremony is scheduled to take place in Paris, France on Monday, October 28. Speaking about his choice for the Ballon d’Or, Martinez told Movistar in a recent interview (via MARCA):

“Whoever wins, he deserves it. We all know they will give it to Vinicius, I have no doubt about it. He is a great player. He continues to show it, the other day he showed it in Champions League: he blew the ball away.

– Inigo Martinez

Vinicius Jr. has had a remarkable 2023-24 campaign, scoring 24 goals and providing 11 assists in 39 appearances across all competitions. The Brazilian won La Liga and the UEFA Champions League with Real Madrid last season. He has also started the 2024-25 season in style, scoring eight goals and providing seven assists in 14 matches so far.

Real Madrid, meanwhile, will face Barcelona in an important La Liga clash later today. Hansi Flick’s side look like a formidable team and are currently top of the table, collecting 27 points from their first ten matches. Defending champions Los Blancos are second, three points off the top of the standings. With a victory against their eternal rivals, Carlo Ancelotti’s team can move level on points with Barcelona.

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