Neymar says Brazil and Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior should have been 'top three' in Ballon d'Or
/dnl.tntsports.co.uk/sd/img/placeholder/tnt_logo_1x1.png){kind=logo}
Published 19/10/2022 at 10:41 GMT+1
Vinicius Junior played a starring role for Real Madrid in the 2021/22 season as they won La Liga and the Champions League. However, in the Ballon d'Or standings he only came eighth, behind Karim Benzema, Sadio Mane, Kevin de Bruyne, Robert Lewandowski, Mohamed Salah, Kylian Mbappe and Thibaut Courtois. Neymar says his Brazil team-mate should have been in the top three.
Ancelotti happy for Benzema, questions exclusions from Ballon d'Or list
Neymar has criticised the Ballon d’Or rankings after Brazil team-mate Vinicius Junior only finished eighth.
Real Madrid and France forward Karim Benzema won the award ahead of Sadio Mane and Kevin de Bruyne.
Vinicius enjoyed an impressive 2021/22 season with Real Madrid, scoring 21 goals and providing 20 assists in La Liga and the Champions League. He also netted the winner in the Champions League final against Liverpool.
However, in the Ballon d’Or rankings, he finished behind Benzema, Mane, De Bruyne, Robert Lewandowski, Mohamed Salah, Kylian Mbappe and Thibaut Courtois.
“Benzema deserved it,” wrote Neymar on Twitter.
“But for Vini to be eighth is not possible. He should at least be top three.”
Neymar, who missed out on the 30-man shortlist entirely, also included several laughing emojis in the message.
Despite Neymar’s verdict, Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti was not too unhappy with Vinicius’ position.
"I think it's fair because this allows him to try to improve what he did last year, in which it was almost all new for everyone to see him with that continuity (in the team) and quality.
“It will motivate him to do even better."
Real Madrid goalkeeper Courtois won the Yashin Trophy for the best goalkeeper but expressed his frustration at finishing seventh in the Ballon d’Or.
"I see it as impossible, for a goalkeeper, it is impossible to win this award. I don't know if as a goalkeeper you can do more than what I did last year,” he said.
/origin-imgresizer.tntsports.io/2022/10/18/3474869-70844553-2560-1440.jpg)
‘I am so proud of how my country defends and fights for their freedom’ - Shevchenko
"I'm not saying I would have won it. But I'm not even on the podium being the goalkeeper who has won La Liga and the Champions League.
"First of all, I am very happy for Karim Benzema. It seems that scoring a goal is better than stopping it. A battle that remains to be won.
"Seeing the logic and knowing how they vote, I knew that I would have no chance of winning it."
The last time a goalkeeper won the Ballon d'Or was Russia's Lev Yashin in 1963. Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer is the only one to make the top three since 2006 when he finished behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in 2014.
Related Topics
Share this article
Advertisement
Advertisement