Ballon d'Or: Carlo Ancelotti names his pick to win prestigious award

• The race for the 2024 edition remains a hotly debated topic, drawing substantial attention and discussion.
• Several players are emerging as strong contenders to challenge Real Madrid’s Vinícius Júnior and Jude Bellingham for the award
• Carlo Ancelotti has opened up on who should win the prestigious award, as the Madrid duo will compete with Rodri and Dani Carvajal for the award

Carlo Ancelotti has weighed in on the Ballon d'Or race, with Dani Carvajal, Jude Bellingham, and Vinicius Jr. all in contention for the prestigious award.

After Real Madrid’s triumph in both La Liga and the Champions League, these three players are strong candidates for the October ceremony.

Carlo Ancelotti has opened up on who should win the prestigious award.
Source: UGC

While Bellingham had an outstanding debut season and led England to the Euro 2024 final, Vinicius contributed 35 goal involvements in 39 matches for Madrid, per Transfermarkt.

Meanwhile, Carvajal capped off a successful club season by winning the European Championship with Spain.

Ancelotti has shared his thoughts on the possibility of one of his players taking home the Ballon d'Or.

While Lionel Messi currently holds the award, Karim Benzema was the last Real Madrid player to win it, in 2022.

He stated via Football Espana: “In my opinion, Vinicius deserves to win. He had an outstanding season, winning the league and the Champions League, and scored crucial goals, including in the final and semi-finals. "Dani Carvajal also had an excellent season, winning La Liga, the Champions League, and scoring in the final, as well as the European Championship. "However, Vinicius is young and immensely talented with room for growth. Jude also had a fantastic season and was the best player in the league.”

What's next for Real Madrid?

Looking ahead, Real Madrid is gearing up for the new season, aiming to reclaim both La Liga and the Champions League.

The recent signing of Kylian Mbappé is expected to enhance their chances, adding another formidable name to the Ballon d'Or conversation, per Goal.

Messi names favourite for Ballon d’Or

Legit.ng in another report stated that Messi named Vinicius and Kylian Mbappe among the frontrunners for the 2024 Ballon d’Or award.

The Ballon d’Or, which both Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi have largely dominated over the last decade, saw the Argentina captain add another to his record-extending accolade following his triumph at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Source: YEN.com.gh