Ballon d’Or favorite Vinícius Jr world exclusive: ‘I want to make history with Real Madrid’
CNN
By Zayn Nabbi and Darren Lewis, CNN
(CNN) — Real Madrid superstar Vinícius Jr. has his sights set on reaching even greater heights this season, as the Brazilian told CNN Sport in part one of a world exclusive interview that Los Blancos could win a historic treble this season, adding that he hopes to emulate his Brazilian heroes by winning the Ballon d’Or.
Speaking to CNN Senior Sports Analyst Darren Lewis in his Madrid home, Vinícius was bullish about Los Merengues’ prospects this season of being successful in every major competition, as the reigning Champions League winners prepare to defend their crown.
“Every year, our goal is to win every title we can,” Vinícius said of the 15-time European Cup champion before the team won its sixth European Super Cup against Atalanta.
Winning Madrid’s first ever treble?
For all its success, Madrid has never won a European treble, consisting of the Champions League, La Liga and Copa del Rey.
Arch-rival FC Barcelona is the only Spanish club to have done so – on two separate occasions in 2009 and 2015.
Explaining why this feat is so rare, Vinícius told CNN, “The Copa del Rey always throws us off from winning the treble because you play against very tough teams throughout January, which is the period when there are the most games, so the cup competition ends up complicating things a bit.”
The Madrid star is clear that the biggest priority for the squad is winning the club’s 16th Champions League but added that he’s also motivated to “finally be able to win the treble.”
“The Champions League comes first, which is the most difficult competition – followed by La Liga and then the Copa. Each one has its own pressure because the weight of the Champions League is because it’s where Real Madrid always wants to win. And not only the players, the fans as well demand that of us, to win that competition, but our goal now is to try and win everything we enter and finally be able to win the treble.”
To begin to appreciate the impact of Vinícius this past season, one should go by the numbers. Fifteen league goals propelled Madrid to yet another Spanish title.
Then there was his crucial strike to seal a second Champions League title in three seasons, when Madrid beat Borussia Dortmund 2-0 at Wembley earlier this year.
“I’ve always dreamed of playing for Real Madrid, so I cherish every moment like it was the last,” he said.
“Everyone wants to win for the best team on the planet, and to be able to play with the best and to be able to score so many goals in so many finals and to be able to help so much… I’m only 24 years old and I want to continue like this for much longer and to create history in this great team I play in today. Not everyone has that chance to do that, so I talk about enjoying every moment in this jersey.”
Vinícius ended the 2023/24 season as Madrid’s top scorer with 24 goals to go along with 11 assists – this despite missing two months of the campaign between November and January.
Golden dreams
With his knack of showing up when it matters most and his big numbers across the season for arguably the biggest club on the planet, it’s no wonder he is the favorite to win this year’s Ballon d’Or – the annual award handed out for the best player in the world.
For Vinícius, winning the award is almost a sense of living up to Brazilian heritage, ensuring that he follows in the footsteps of the country’s greatest ever modern-day soccer stars as he looks to emulate Marta, Ronaldo Nazário, Ronaldinho, Rivaldo and Kaká, who at some point in their careers have won recognition as the best player in the world.
“I have to talk about Marta, who is the greatest to ever play the [women’s game]. I have great affection for her because I believe she changed the sport and put women’s football on the level it deserves. Women’s football is growing day by day and Marta was one of the pioneers,” he said.
“Marta is for us is what Pelé was for everyone in Brazil, like Ayrton Senna, she’s from a level where there is one person in every million.
“And as for the men’s players, I have Kaká as an example, I have Ronaldo who won the award twice, I have Ronaldinho, Rivaldo, a lot of Brazilian players who have won the Ballon d’Or. But without a doubt, Ronaldo and Ronaldinho are the ones I’m closest with, who tell me every day that I have to win the Ballon d’Or.”
Vinícius tells CNN that he had recently spent some time with O Fenômeno, who has been training him personally.
“I was with Ronaldo just now when I was in Ibiza and trained at his house and he told me: ‘Train here a few more days, so you are closer to the Ballon d’Or.’ They are players who did incredible things and to be able to compete for the Ballon d’Or and to win an award that they won, that would be something really incredible.”
The new Galácticos
Teammates Jude Bellingham and the newly signed Kylian Mbappé will be Vinícius’ main competition for the Ballon d’Or in October, as this latest incarnation of Real Madrid is laden with talent from front to back.
Despite being one of his main competitors for football’s most coveted prize, the Brazilian is extremely excited to have former PSG star Mbappé in Spanish giant’s ranks.
“The team is very good and has been that way for a long time now,” he said.
“Now with the arrival of Mbappé, everyone says the team can become unstoppable, but for now, we have to perform the best training sessions and try to understand each other as quickly as possible.”
Vinícius had long admired Mbappé from afar and now relishes playing with the World Cup winner, admitting to have been impressed with the way he plays.
“I love Mbappé’s style, I love how he plays, and the truth is that I’m very excited about what we can do during the season. He’s coming in after having scored so many goals, after winning so many titles. He’s arriving at the club he always dreamed to be in and where every player always dreamed to play for: Real Madrid.
“God willing, Mbappé will be able to score as many goals for us as he did in his previous team, as he does in the national team, and that he can do even more together with us.”
While Vinícius assisted on the opening goal and the Frenchman scored in his official Los Blancos debut in a 2-0 UEFA Super Cup win, Madrid slipped up against a resolute Mallorca side in its La Liga opener, earning just one point in a 1-1 away draw and showing signs that the team needs to gel more before hitting its full stride.
Despite the misstep in Son Moix and the team having growing pains in the first half of its home opener against Real Valladolid before winning 3-0, the scene is set for an incredibly successful year for Madrid.
Heart set on Madrid success
Recently, rumors bubbled about Vinícius being offered an eyewatering offer of over $1 billion to make a move to Saudi Arabia, similar to rumblings about his new teammate Mbappé in July 2023.
However, the Brazilian star was clear to CNN about his feelings for the future.
“I always play to be among the best and, each day that passes at Real Madrid, I feel more confident.
“I’ve already won two Champions Leagues and I play with others who already won six – [Dani] Carvajal also has won six and they motivate us each day to play beyond our limits and that everything is possible with the team we have now.
“We already made it this far [winning two Champions Leagues in three years], it was really hard. But to stay at the highest level, it’s much harder, so I want to stay at this level for a long time and be able to win as many Champions League as Carvajal, [Luka] Modrić, Nacho and Toni [Kroos], who won six.
“We might have one of the best teams for the next decade, and now, we have to show on the pitch that we can perform. And I, along with my teammates, each time, each game we play, we can get closer to winning Real Madrid more titles.”
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