The Real Madrid striker is the only Brazilian player among the candidates to win the award
One of the big surprises in the announcement of the 30 nominees for Ballon d’Or 2023 is the low attendance of Brazilian players. In fact, the five-time world champion country has only one representative on the list: Vinicius Júnior, Verdemarela’s great star who shines at Real Madrid. Meanwhile, Neymar once again ran out of candidates.
Find out more:
++ Antony sidelined by his teammates at Manchester United
++Manchester United release statement on Antony following assault allegations
++ How much does Neymar earn at Al Hilal?
Lower attendance than 2022
Last year, three Brazilian footballers were in the running for the award given by France Football. At the time, Casemiro and Fabinho managed to make the list alongside Vinicius, who was one of the key players in Real Madrid’s UEFA Champions League triumph.
On the other hand, Neymar was already overlooked in the top 30 due to a difficult year with Paris Saint-Germain. It should be noted that since the last presentation of the Ballon d’Or, the criteria have changed: instead of rewarding a player for his performances in a calendar year, performances during a specific European season are taken into account. In other words, the second half of the year is clubbed with the first half of the next year.
Vinicius statistics in 2022-2023
Although the presence of so few compatriots may surprise, the presence of Vinicius Junior is nothing new: in 2022-2023, the Brazilian managed to improve his statistics compared to the previous season. In 55 matches for his club, the striker scored 23 goals and made 21 assists. In the previous campaign, he recorded 22 goals and 20 assists in 52 games.
30 nominees for Ballon d’Or 2023
, Vinicius Jr. (Real Madrid, Brazil)
– Lionel Messi (PSG-Inter Miami, Argentina)
Julian Alvarez (River Plate-Manchester City, Argentina)
– Lautaro Martinez (Inter, Argentina)
– Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa, Argentina)
Erling Haaland (Manchester City, Norway)
Kylian Mbappé (PSG, France)
– Robert Lewandowski (FC Barcelona, Poland)
– Harry Kane (Tottenham-Bayern Munich, England)
– Victor Osimhen (Naples, Nigeria)
– Luka Modric (Real Madrid, Croatia)
– Kim Min-jae (Naples-Bayern Munich, South Korea)
Josco Guardiol (RB Leipzig-Manchester City, Croatia)
Andre Onana (Inter-Manchester United, Cameroon)
Karim Benzema (Real Madrid-Al Ittihad, France)
Mohamed Salah (Liverpool, Egypt)
Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich, Germany)
– Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund-Real Madrid, England)
– Bukayo Saka (Arsenal, England)
– Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City, Belgium)
– Bernardo Silva (Manchester City, Portugal)
– Randall Kolo Muani (Eintracht Frankfurt-PSG, France)
– Khvicha Kvartskhelia (Naples, Georgia)
Ruben Dias (Manchester City, Portugal)
Nicolo Barella (Inter, Italy)
Ilkay Gundogan (Manchester City – FC Barcelona, Germany)
– Martin Odegaard (Arsenal, Norway)
Yassin Bounou (Sevilla-Al Hilal, Morocco)
– Rodri (Manchester City, Spain)
Antoine Griezmann (Atletico de Madrid, France)
This list highlights the talents of Vinicius Júnior, who finds himself among the elite of world football despite Brazil’s under-representation. The 2023 Ballon d’Or award ceremony promises to be an exciting one, with several outstanding players competing for the coveted prize. We can’t wait to see who will be crowned Europe’s Player of the Season.