Vinicius Jr named shock pick for his 'toughest' opponent and it may surprise Real Madrid fans
The Brazilian has come up against the best the world has to offer.
We're now only days away from the 2024 Ballon d'Or award ceremony, with Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr among the favourites to claim the top men's prize.
Vini Jr is the bookmakers' favourite to win the award on October 28 after a sensational 2023/24 season with Madrid.
The Brazilian scored 29 goals in all competitions last season to help Real Madrid win both La Liga and the Champions League.
But he faces competition from club teammate Jude Bellingham and Manchester City star Rodri for the individual award, with Dani Carvajal, Lamine Yamal and Erling Haaland also in the mix.
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It's a remarkable rise for Vinicius Jr, who is still only aged 24 and has his best years ahead of him.
Speaking exclusively to SPORTbible in 2022, Vinicius Jr said he was hopeful of becoming the best player in world football.
"If in the future I can be the best in the world… that depends on how my season goes. I have to keep working and improving to keep achieving my dreams," he said.
In the same interview, the Brazilian named two Englishmen as his toughest opponents - singling out Chelsea's Reece James and Manchester City's Kyle Walker.
But he has since changed his mind, naming another defender as his toughest ever opponent.
Speaking last year following an El Clasico clash, the former Flamengo man identified Barcelona star Ronald Araujo as his toughest opponent.
"The best defender I have ever faced is Araujo. He's very strong and very good. That's why he plays for Barca," Vinicius said, as reported by Planet Sport.
Araujo has developed into a world-class defender since joining Barcelona from Uruguayan club Boston River in 2018.
He's gone on to make 150 appearances for the Catalan club, scoring eight times, but has seen his progress halted by an injury which has ruled him out of this season so far.
The centre-back sustained the hamstring injury in July and is not expected to return to first-team action until December, according to Spanish outlet Diario SPORT.
Barcelona have coped well without Araujo, with Hansi Flick's side top of La Liga – three points ahead of Vinicius Jr's Real Madrid.
That could change in the coming weeks, however, with the two giants of Spanish football set to meet at the Bernabeu on October 26 – two days before the Ballon d'Or award ceremony.
Topics: Vinicius Jr, Ballon d'Or, Football, La Liga, Champions League, Barcelona
Rory O'Callaghan