‘No way that’s going to happen’ – Vinicius Jr discusses Ballon d’Or & World Cup bids from Real Madrid team-mate Benzema

Vinicius Junior is happy to concede that Real Madrid team-mate Karim Benzema is likely to beat him to the 2022 Ballon d’Or, but the Brazilian forward has sent a “no way that’s going to happen” message to a club colleague when it comes to a battle for World Cup supremacy.

Leading lights at Santiago Bernabeu have their sights locked on more major honours following a productive end to the 2021-22 campaign that delivered La Liga and Champions League title glory to the Spanish capital.

Benzema proved to be a talismanic presence for the Blancos after taking the captain’s armband, with 44 goals recorded across all competitions, and Vinicius – who netted a match-winning effort in a European showdown with Liverpool – expects the Frenchman to land a prestigious Golden Ball.

Vinicius is considered to have put himself in Ballon d’Or contention, having recorded 22 goals and 16 assists of his own last season, but he acknowledges that – despite boasting the support of fellow countryman Neymar – individual honours are likely to go elsewhere this year.

“I’m really happy that Neymar said that I should win the Ballon d’Or, but in my opinion Benzema deserves it more,” the 21-year-old South American said while away on international duty.

Champions League Player of the Season: Karim Benzema