Favored contender for Ballon d'Or, Vinícius Jr, reveals exclusive insight: "Aspire to pen historic achievements with Real Madrid"
Chatting with CNN Senior Sports Analyst Darren Lewis at his residence in Madrid, Vinícius Jr. was optimistic about Los Merengues' chances of excelling in every major competition this season, as the current Champions League champions prepare to defend their title.
“Every year, our aim is to win every prize we can,” Vinícius stated, referring to the 15-time European Cup champion, before the team clinched its sixth European Super Cup against Atalanta.
Achieving Madrid's inaugural treble?
Despite its success, Madrid has yet to win a European treble, featuring the Champions League, La Liga, and Copa del Rey.
Only arch-rival FC Barcelona has accomplished this feat – on two separate occasions in 2009 and 2015.
Vinícius explained to CNN why this achievement is so uncommon, saying, “The Copa del Rey usually throws us off from winning the treble since we play against tough opponents every January, which is the period with the most games, making the cup competition a bit more complicated.”
The Madrid star is emphatic about the squad's primary focus being to capture the club's 17th Champions League but also conceded that he is motivated to "finally secure the treble."
“The Champions League takes front and center, as it’s the most challenging competition – followed by La Liga and then the Copa. Each one has its own pressure since the weight of the Champions League stems from Real Madrid’s tradition of wanting to win. Not only the players, but the fans as well, expect us to win that competition,” he said.
To truly understand the influence of Vinícius this past season, one should examine the figures. Fifteen league goals propelled Madrid to another Spanish title.
Then came his decisive strike to seal the second Champions League title in three seasons when Madrid defeated Borussia Dortmund 2-0 at Wembley earlier this year.
“I’ve always dreamt of playing for Real Madrid, so I cherish every moment like it’s my last,” he said.
“Everyone desires to win for the world's greatest team, and to play alongside the best, to score numerous goals in numerous finals, and to contribute significantly... I'm only 24 years old, and I wish to carry on this way for much longer, to create history in this magnificent team I play for today. Not everyone is fortunate enough to do so, so I speak about relishing every moment in this jersey.”
Vinícius concluded the 2023/24 season as Madrid's top scorer with 24 goals, accompanied by 11 assists – despite missing two months of the campaign between November and January.
Ambitious aspirations
With his tendency to deliver when it matters most and a remarkable tally of scores across the season for arguably the biggest club in the world, it comes as no surprise that he is the clear favorite to win this year's Ballon d’Or – the prestigious annual award bestowed on the world's best player.
For Vinícius, winning the award is akin to meeting his Brazilian legacy, ensuring he continues the footsteps of Brazil's greatest contemporary football stars as he strives to emulate Marta, Ronaldo Nazário, Ronaldinho, Rivaldo, and Kaká – all of whom have garnered recognition as the best player in the world at some point in their careers.
“I have to acknowledge Marta, who is the best to have ever played the women’s game. I have a deep fondness for her because I believe she revolutionized the sport and elevated it to its rightful level,” he said.
“Marta is for us what Pelé was for everyone in Brazil, like Ayrton Senna, she’s in a class of her own where there is one person in every million.”
As for the male players, I have Kaká as an example, I have Ronaldo – who won the award twice, I have Ronaldinho, Rivaldo, several Brazilian players who have won the Ballon d’Or. However, Ronaldo and Ronaldinho are the ones I am most akin to, who motivate me daily to win the Ballon d’Or.”
Vinícius tells CNN that he recently spent some time training with O Fenômeno, who has been personally coaching him.
“I was with Ronaldo just now when I was in Ibiza and practiced at his house, and he told me, ‘Stay here a few more days, so you are closer to the Ballon d’Or.’ They are players who accomplished extraordinary things, and to compete for the Ballon d’Or and win an award they won, that would be something truly extraordinary.”
This new Galactic squad
Teammates Jude Bellingham and newly signed Kylian Mbappé will be Vinícius' primary competition for the Ballon d’Or in October, as this latest manifestation of Real Madrid boasts an abundance of talent from front to back.
Despite being one of his main competitors for football’s most sought-after prize, the Brazilian is thrilled to have former PSG star Mbappé as part of the Spanish giant's squad.
“The team is exceptional and has been that way for a long time now,” he said.
“Now with the arrival of Mbappé, everyone says the team can become invincible, but for now, we have to excel in our training sessions and try to understand each other as quickly as possible.”
Vinícius has had a long-standing appreciation for Mbappé and now enjoys sharing the pitch with the World Cup champion. He openly admits to being impressed by the way Mbappé plays.
"I'm a big fan of Mbappé's style, I love how he performs, and to be honest, I'm quite thrilled about what we can accomplish together during the season. He's joining us after scoring an impressive number of goals, after winning numerous titles. He's now part of the team he's always dreamt of playing for: Real Madrid, which every player dreams of representing.
"I hope Mbappé can keep scoring as many goals for us as he did in his previous team, as he does in the national team, and even more so with us."
During the UEFA Super Cup, Vinícius assisted on the opening goal, and Mbappé scored in his debut with Los Blancos, resulting in a 2-0 victory. However, Real Madrid experienced a setback against a resilient Mallorca side in the La Liga opener, securing only a 1-1 draw and showing signs of needing more time to gel as a team before reaching its full potential.
Despite the challenge at Mallorca and initial growing pains in the home opener against Real Valladolid, Real Madrid is poised for a highly successful year.
Ambition driven by Madrid success
Lately, there have been whispers of Vinícius being offered an enormous sum worth over $1 billion to switch to Saudi Arabia, much like the speculation surrounding his new teammate Mbappé in July 2023.
However, the Brazilian star made it crystal clear to CNN about his ambitions for the future.
"I play to be among the best and with each day I spend at Real Madrid, I feel more self-assured.
"I've already won two Champions Leagues and I share the field with others who have also won six – Dani Carvajal has six titles as well, among others, and they inspire us each day to surpass ourselves and prove that anything is possible with the team we have now.
"We've already achieved this much – winning two Champions Leagues within three years – but staying at the top requires even more effort. I want to continue at this level for a long time and be able to win as many Champions Leagues as Carvajal, Modric, Nacho, and Toni Kroos, who have all won six.
"We could potentially have one of the best teams for the next decade, and now it's crucial to demonstrate our prowess on the pitch and eventually earn more titles for Real Madrid."
Vinícius mentioned his desire to win every prize available, including the Champions League and La Liga, as well as the Copa del Rey, which Madrid has yet to win in a treble. He acknowledged the challenges that come with the Copa del Rey, but his primary focus remains on winning the Champions League.
In light of Vinícius's impressive performance this season, he is the clear favorite to win this year's Ballon d'Or, following in the footsteps of Brazilian legends like Marta, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, and Rivaldo, who have all won the award at some point in their careers.
