Real Madrid icon Luis Figo has claimed that he would not have voted for Vinicius to win the 2024 Ballon d’Or title. However, the ex-Portuguese forward said that he believes the Brazilian forward is a deserving candidate to win the coveted Golden Ball in 2025.

The 2024 edition of the Ballon d’Or was won by Manchester City midfielder Rodri, who enjoyed a stellar campaign for club and country. The 28-year-old played a crucial role in City’s victorious EPL campaign and Spain’s EURO 2024 triumph, racking up 10 goals and 14 assists in 56 games.

After bagging 27 goals and 11 assists in 45 competitive games for club and country, Vinicius was also in the running for the award last season. Although he won the UEFA Champions League and LaLiga with Real Madrid, he couldn’t match Rodri’s continental success as Brazil fell short in the Copa America quarter-finals.

This season, Vinicius has picked up where he left off, with 18 goals and 11 assists in 39 appearances. He is once again considered to be a front-runner for the Ballon d’Or title, a sentiment that was echoed by Figo in his recent comments.

The ex-Real Madrid man delivered his thoughts on last season’s award and picked Vinicius as his winner for the 2025 edition. Speaking on legendary Merengues goalkeeper Iker Casillas’ podcast Bajo los Palos, the 52-year-old said (via Madrid Universal):

“Whoever wins it has earned it. Rodri won the European Championship and deserved it, but Vinicius also had an incredible year, winning the Champions League… If I had voted last year, I would have chosen Rodri, but this year, perhaps, Vinicius deserves it.”

Kylian Mbappe, Mohamed Salah, Raphinha – Real Madrid superstar Vinicius Jr will have incredible competition for 2025 Ballon d’Or title

While Real Madrid superstar Vinicius Jr is considered a bonafide contender for the 2025 Ballon d’Or, a host of other world-class players have staked their claim to win the award.

Vini’s teammate Kylian Mbappe is enjoying an incredible debut campaign at the Santiago Bernabeu. Having joined Real on a free transfer last summer, the Frenchman has made an instant impact with 30 goals and four assists in 43 appearances across all competitions.

Liverpool superstar Mohamed Salah’s numbers do the talking for themselves. The Egyptian has racked up an eye-watering 32 goals and 22 assists in 43 games this season, powering the Reds to the top of the Premier League standings.

Barcelona‘s Brazilian ace Raphinha has been enjoying an unbelievable bounce-back season. The 28-year-old has bagged 27 goals and 20 assists in 42 games, helping Barca to the summit of LaLiga and into the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey.

Barcelona and Real Madrid are on opposite sides of the bracket in the UCL quarter-finals, with a potential Ballon d’Or-deciding matchup in the final on the horizon. On the other hand, Salah’s Liverpool suffered a disappointing exit in the Round of 16 at the hands of French giants Paris Saint-Germain.

The upcoming Ballon d’Or ceremony is set to take place in October 2025.