The Ballon d’Or results have reportedly been ‘leaked’ with Vinicius Jr ahead of Manchester City midfielder Rodri, but Erling Haaland is down in SIXTH.
Lionel Messi missed out on being nominated for the award he’s won eight time for the first time in 21 years.
Real Madrid star Vinicius has long been the favourite to win this year’s Ballon d’Or and a ‘leak’ appears to confirm that.
The official unveiling will be confirmed on Monday evening at 7pm (GMT) but Vinicus might be even more confident about his chances now.
The Ballon d’Or is one of the most prestigiour awards in football
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An unconfirmed list has been leaked appearing to show the top 12 players and the votes they received with the Brazlian 54 points ahead of Rodri in second.
Jude Bellingham is the highest-ranked Englishman in third while compatriots Harry Kane and Phil Foden are fifth and eighth respectively.
Kylian Mbappe is fourth on the list, meaning Real Madrid have three of the top four in their current squad.
But goal machine Haaland, who controversially missed out on last year’s award to Messi, is down in sixth.
The 24-year-old was once again City’s key man up front last season as he helped them win their fourth successive Premier League title.
He scored a total of 38 goals in all competitions and has started the new campaign in impressive form, finding the net 14 times in 13 matches.
Mbappe had a similarly strong campaign in his last season with Paris Saint-Germain, scoring 44 goals in 48 matches in all competitions before his switch to Real in the summer.
Kane scored the same amount of goals in his debut season with Bayern Munich, but failed to win a trophy as Bayer Leverkusen pipped their rivals to the Bundesliga title.
Vinicius Jr is set to win this year’s Ballon d’Or
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Vinicius Jr may not have been as prolific in front of goal as Haaland, Mbappe or Kane, but the Brazilian was key as Real won La Liga and the Champions League.
Barcelona starlet Lamine Yamal is seventh on the list while Dani Olmo, Florian Wirtz, Dani Carvajal and Antonio Rudiger make up the final four spots respectively.
Yamal is the strong favourite to win the Kopa trophy as the best under-21 player in the world.
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Erling Haaland is down in sixth on the list
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The 17-year-old played a crucial role in helping Spain beat England in the European Championship final and was named the young player of the tournament.
Manchester United have two players up for nomination for the Kopa trophy with Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho earning high praise.
Savinho has also been rewarded for his role in helping Girona finish third in La Liga last season before his move to City.