Vinicius Jr embodies the modern way of Real Madrid – the Champions League final can prove it

The description that many others would apply to Jude Bellingham it’s one he bestows on a teammate. “The best in the world”, he said about Vinícius Jr. in May. And October. Carlos Ancelotti agree; as the Italian is the supreme diplomat, he was unlikely to cause riots in the Real Madrid locker room when he named the winger, although he forgot Bellingham in the process.

And if the Brazilian becomes a more controversial choice again next season, when Kylian Mbappe will certainly be added to Real’s list of candidates, for now Vinicius is the 21st century boy who could finally hand the Ballon d’Or to the next generation.

Which, as the last 15 were won by players born in 1985 (Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modric) or 1987 (Lionel Messi and Karim Benzema), would represent a changing of the guard. And if Vinicius is not the eventual winner, it could be because Euro 2024 allows someone else – potentially Mbappe or Bellingham – to take the spotlight, even though Brazil has its own summer tournament in the Copa América.

Currently favorite for the Ballon d’Or, Vinicius may have a better chance of securing the UEFA player of the year award, where excellence in European club football is recognized. But, although there is no official award for this, he has maintained excellence for a long time. He could win his second Champions League on Saturday. Over a three-year period he was arguably the best player in the best competition; not in every season, but as a cumulative body of work.

But if 2021-22 was Benzema’s annus mirabilis, with the Frenchman’s 15 goals powering many of Real’s comebacks, it was Vinicius who delivered the victory in the final. If 2022-23 was Manchester City’s year, Vinicius’ brilliance remained constant. This season, his semi-final double – best player in each leg – could lead to a hat-trick if he produces an equally dominant display against Borussia Dortmund at Wembley.

And brilliance in big games is part of Vinicius’ case. Part of this lies in the numbers: not quite as with Messi and Ronaldo over a decade or more, or with Benzema in a wonderful year, but as an illustration of his impact, to support the naked-eye evidence.

In 2021-22, Vinicius registered six assists, second only to Bruno Fernandes. Last season, he scored six more, second only to Kevin Bruyne, and seven goals, surpassed only by Erling Haaland and Mohamed Salah. This year, he has five goals and four assists; only Marcel Sabitzer has more. Only Harry Kane has been directly involved in more goals; he’s out of the competition now, courtesy of Vinicius.

But numbers matter less than his propensity to excel where Real’s players are judged: in the knockout stages. In 2021-22, the Brazilian participated in the three goals in the 3-1 victory over Paris Saint-Germain, prepared Benzema’s decision in the quarter-finals, ran from his own midfield to score in the 4-3 semi-final. final defeat to City and then scored the only goal of the final.

Last season brought two goals at Anfield in the 5-2 thrashing of Liverpool, three assists in the two quarter-final matches against Chelsea and Real’s only goal against City.

In the current campaign, Vinicius scored two goals in the 3-3 draw with City, when he was arguably the best player on the field; he scored two against Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena. And while late semi-final heroics can sometimes come from others – Rodrygo in 2022, Joselu in 2024 – the consistency of Vinicius’s contributions, and when Real have invariably paired up with elite teams, is remarkable.

Another factor is your immediate opponents. He has had many epic duels with Kyle Walker, although it was an indication of his versatility, and an option for Real when Mbappe arrives, that he spent much of the last game against City in the middle. He proved to be the scourge of Trent Alexander-Arnold. He tormented Bayern’s Joshua Kimmich. He may rise to the occasion.

And if the accusation leveled at some players who seem to dominate statistically is that they are bullies, Vinicius is the master of do-or-die draws.

At 23 years old, he already has 10 goals and 12 assists in the Champions League round of 16; he scored as many goals as Samuel Eto’o or Zlatan Ibrahimovic, more than Alessandro Del Piero or Sergio Aguero, Antoine Griezmann or Zinedine Zidane. However, the number of assists is even more remarkable: two below Messi, two above Ronaldo; only Argentine Franck Ribéry and Thomas Muller have more.

Devastating bursts of pace are combined with the ability to unlock defenses. This has made Vinicius arguably the most effective striker at the highest level of club competition. That could make him Real’s ninth Ballon d’Or winner, even if Brazilians Ronaldo and Fabio Cannavaro were bought after the World Cups, which is why they were honored.

But then they were the club that bought stars.

Now Vinicius, signed at 17, albeit for a huge fee for an inexperienced player, represents a case of potential identified and realised. He is the star that Real made, and perhaps his second Champions League final will confirm him as the brightest star of them all at the moment.