You know when it became really obvious that the sun was setting on Trent Alexander-Arnold’s Liverpool career? It had nothing to do with the transfer links, the fist-pumping after big games or even his own silence on his future – it was all the talk of individual trophies. “I want to be the first right-back to win the Ballon d’Or,” he told FourFourTwo in an exclusive interview – before reiterating that ambition upon signing for Real Madrid. But come on, where is the logic in that? Why would you go to Real Madrid to stand out? Eight Los Blancos players have lifted the award – more than any other club – and in this day and age, the voters usually just converge upon a star of whoever has won the Champions League. But as was dramatically proven in 2024, that’s where your colleagues can split the vote. Although he’d scored in the Champions League final that year, if Vinicius Jr had scooped team-mate Dani Carvajal’s votes, he’d have comfortably beaten Rodri. That Jude Bellingham was also an option that year confused things further. It’s something that Real Madrid president Florentino Perez failed to grasp when it came to the Super League: if everyone’s absolutely huge, then no one is. And now, Vinicius himself has seemingly fallen into the same trap.It’s not just about the Ballon d’Or, either. With goals in two Champions League finals, it would be utterly churlish to suggest that Vinicius has been anything other than a huge success at Real Madrid, ascending to a level where he is regarded, if not as the best left-winger in the world, then certainly one of a handful of footballers on Earth whose transfer saga could spark such interest. He is a superstar of the highest echelon. He is special.But arguably, the best has already happened in Madrid for the Brazilian. And it happened before Kylian Mbappe arrived. You can bring out the numbers to support your argument (and we will). Vini averaged over 60 touches per 90 minutes alongside Karim Benzema, which dropped to 50-something next to Mbappe. The goals have dropped slightly, too… but frankly, Vinicius will know this himself, with his team having conducted thorough analysis themselves as to which club would suit his profile. His output has dropped – but not massively – because he’s an elite footballer. And rather like most things at the Bernabeu, no one will concern themselves with nerdy numbers.Kylian Mbappe has pushed Vinicius further down the pecking order…
2026-08-06 16:30:33
Vinicius Jr is staying at Real Madrid: and he's making a huge mistake
