"Reminds me of Pele". How the world reacted to Vinicius' hat-trick
Yesterday, Real Madrid star Vinícius Júnior delivered a stunning hat-trick in a 5-2 victory over Borussia Dortmund, with the football world praising the Brazilian's tenacity. Many believe he is now the rightful contender for the Ballon d'Or.
Details: First to commend Vinícius was Real Madrid's head coach, Carlo Ancelotti, who said after the match:
"Vinícius will win the Ballon d'Or, in my opinion. He will receive this award.
It's not about today... it's about what he did last season. Today's hat-trick may help him in the race for the next Ballon d'Or."
Legendary Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema, now playing for Al-Ittihad, also chimed in with a brief but powerful comment on Vinícius' Instagram page, writing just one phrase: “Ballon D'Or.”
Thierry Henry, the iconic forward now working as a football pundit, also weighed in, stating that Real Madrid has essentially become Vinícius' team:
"Since Karim Benzema left, Real Madrid is Vinícius Júnior's team—he is the main man."
Numerous Real Madrid players left comments on Vinícius' page, while star forward Kylian Mbappé opted for a simple yet fiery response, posting several fire emojis.
Real Madrid legend Emilio Butragueño made a bold statement, comparing Vinícius to one of the greatest players in football history:
"He's incredible. Vinícius reminds me of Pelé."
Reminder: The 2024 Ballon d'Or ceremony will take place on Monday, October 28, with Vinícius Júnior being the leading favorite for the prestigious award.
Kenley Ward
Dailysports's expert
