Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr is the favourite on betting sites to win the 2024 Ballon d’Or award tonight, ahead of his teammate Jude Bellingham.
Both players had excellent seasons for Madrid as the club won the Champions League, LaLiga and the Spanish Super Cup.
Vinicius is aiming to become the first Brazilian since Kaka in 2007 to win the award after a magnificent campaign. The forward was instrumental in his side’s success and is a best price of 2/5 to triumph.
Bellingham may provide competition after he won the Kopa Trophy, the award given the best player under the age of 21 in last year’s ceremony, and has strong credentials to take the next step to claim the Ballon d’Or.
Manchester City and Spain midfielder Rodri is also in the reckoning at odds of 9/5 after playing an integral role in Premier League and Euro 2024 triumphs.
Two of Rodri’s Spain teammates are relative outsiders in the Ballon d’Or betting odds. Daniel Carvajal and Lamine Yamal were outstanding in the Euros and enjoyed impressive campaigns for both country and club.
Lautaro Martinez, Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland are also among the contenders, although their odds are long shots on football betting sites.
This year’s winner will be named tonight in Paris, and there will be a new name on the trophy with the Messi/Ronaldo domination now over, there will also be awards for the men’s and women’s Coach of the Year for the first time.
Punters may be interested to know that a ‘leaked’ list of winners which went viral on social media ahead of the ceremony claimed Vinicius would win ahead of Rodri and Jude Bellingham. It had Harry Kane sneaking into the top five behind Kylian Mbappe, with Erling Haaland back in sixth.
However, a different leak claimed Rodri is to lift the trophy in front of the Real trio of Vinicius, Bellingham and Carvajal – none of whom will reportedly be at tonight’s gala.
2024 Ballon d’Or odds
Vinicius Junior Ballon d’Or odds
Vinicius scored 24 goals and managed 11 assists in 39 games in all competitions for Carlo Ancelotti’s side, including a hat-trick against Barcelona, in a 4-1 Spanish Super Cup final win.
The 24-year-old also scored in Real Madrid’s 2–0 win over Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League Final, winning his second European crown.
He also became the youngest player to score in two Champions League finals, after he scored the only goal in the 1-0 win over Liverpool in 2022. Aged 23 years and 325 days, he beat Lionel Messi‘s record by 13 days.
His six goals and five assists also saw him named Uefa’s Champions League Player of the Season. Betting apps have made the Brazilian the odds-on favourite to win the Ballon d’Or to cap a fine year for the Los Blancos forward.
Jude Bellingham Ballon d’Or odds
Bellingham, playing in his first season in Spain was also instrumental in Madrid’s Champions League victory with four goals and five assists in his 11 appearances.
He scored a career-best 19 goals last season to steer Madrid to the LaLiga title and crowned his campaign with an assist in the 2-0 defeat of former club Dortmund in the Champions League final at Wembley.
The 21-year-old has also had an exceptional year for England, becoming the youngest player to appear in two European Championships and two quarter-finals as he scored twice to help England reach the final with Spain.
After winning the Kopa Trophy in 2023 and Bellingham now has odds of 20/1 to win the Ballon d’Or.
Bellingham was one of six England players to be named on the 30-man shortlist, which for the first time since 2003 didn’t feature either Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo.
Phil Foden, Harry Kane, Declan Rice, Cole Palmer and Bukayo Saka also made the grade. Foden has seemingly the next best credentials, although at a best price of 100/1 to win the award those hopes look slim.
So, Bellingham carries the hopes of a nation to become the first English player since Michael Owen in 2001 to win the Ballon d’Or.
Rodri Ballon d’Or odds
The Premier League is also well represented with City’s Rodri currently sandwiched by the Real duo in the Ballon d’Or odds at 4/1 with Betway.
The midfielder was instrumental as City won their fourth successive Premier League title before helping Spain to win this summer’s European Championships.
He started all bar one of Spain’s matches and despite going off at half-time in the final against England, the 28-year-old was named Player of the Tournament.
The 28-year-old is the key cog in the machines of both City and La Roja, and given his standing in the game among both fans, colleagues and pundits, he is certainly worth considering for a bet on the Ballon d’Or.
Rodri, who joined City from Atletico Madrid in 2019, made just three appearances this season before he was ruled out for the season with an anterior cruciate ligament injury suffered during the 2-2 draw with Arsenal.
Lamine Yamal Ballon d’Or odds
Yamal announced himself on the international stage with a sensational Euro 2024 campaign.
The 17-year-old scored a stunner in Spain’s semi-final win over France to go with four assists in the competition, including one in La Roja’s triumph over England in the final.
Yamal was named Young Player of the Tournament and notched the Goal of the Tournament prize too in a record-breaking campaign for the Barcelona man.
His performances for the Catalan side in LaLiga in the 2023/24 campaign were not bad either, registering seven goals in 50 appearances in all competitions.
Yamal has seen his odds shortened to 11/1 to win the Ballon d’Or and should he continue to produce performances of his current standard his time will come. However, he seems more of a lock to win the Kopa Trophy this time around.
Dani Carvajal Odds
Carvajal may have been ruled out of the current campaign, but he can look back at his previous campaign with pride.
Odds of 22/1 are available for the defender to win the Ballon d’Or after an outstanding season which saw him win the treble with Real and then the Euros with Spain.
He was named in the Champions League and LaLiga 2023/24 Team of the Season but hasn’t picked up any individual honours despite seven goals and six assists from right back, including the opening goal in the Champions League final.
Carvajal has carved out an illustrious collection of team honours, including six Champions League titles, five Super Cups and five Fifa World Club Cups. But, it would have to break a massive trend for the Spaniard to win the Ballon d’Or.
Fabio Cannavaro was the last defender to claim the prize in 2006 and before that, Franz Beckenbauer won it twice in 1972 and 1976 before fellow German Matthias Sammer was honoured in 1996.
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