According to BD Cricket Live, Vinícius Júnior appears poised to win the Ballon d’Or, especially after Rodrygo’s major injury. But behind the scenes, Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez’s influence has sparked heated debate. If not for his role at Real Madrid, Vinícius—who underperformed at the Copa América and in Brazil’s World Cup qualifiers—might not even be in the conversation for the top three. His Champions League performance alone likely wouldn’t have cut it without the weight of the Real Madrid badge.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s legacy at Madrid is indisputable. BD Cricket Live reports that Pérez once called Ronaldo his “pride,” only to receive a public rebuttal from former club president Ramón Calderón. Growing up means learning to stand on your own, and Pérez learned that the hard way. Although Ronaldo joined Madrid in 2009, the deal was signed during Calderón’s term. That fact ended the so-called honeymoon between Pérez and Ronaldo and ignited Pérez’s long-held desire to sign his own superstar—someone to usher in a new era for the club.

From Gareth Bale to Eden Hazard and Kylian Mbappé, Pérez chased elite talent hoping to bury Ronaldo’s ghost. But things rarely went to plan. Bale was plagued by injuries, Hazard lost his hunger, and Mbappé played a solo act. The idealized “golden age” Pérez envisioned always fell just short. To move forward, he adopted a mentality of not dwelling on emotions—a kind of self-preservation.

Now, it seems Vinícius Júnior is finally the golden boy Pérez long awaited. Despite his poor international form—Brazil crashed out of Copa América in the quarterfinals and continues to struggle in World Cup qualifying—Vinícius is still a frontrunner for the Ballon d’Or, largely due to his Champions League brilliance and Real Madrid’s global prestige. In fact, history shows that even players from treble-winning sides like Manchester United, Bayern Munich, Inter Milan, and Manchester City have often been overlooked—unless they played for Barcelona.

It’s the Real Madrid name that gives players a real edge. BD Cricket Live notes that Vinícius shined brightest when it mattered most in Europe, and that might be enough to tip the scales. As the saying goes, “right place, right time.” Vinícius, signed during the post-Ronaldo rebuild and backed by Florentino himself, may just be the answer the president has longed for—a symbol of independence, a new chapter, and perhaps, the final step in moving on from CR7’s towering shadow.