Sam Allardyce Reveals Why Vinicius Will Win 2025 Ballon d’Or Ahead Of Salah

Former England manager, Sam Allardyce has put his weight behind Real Madrid’s dazzling forward, Vinicius Jr., as the frontrunner for the 2025 Ballon d’Or and snubbed in-form Mohamed Salah.

In a surprising turn of events, Sam Allardyce, who previously managed teams like Bolton Wanderers, openly dismissed the chances of Liverpool’s prolific Mohamed Salah, declaring that the Egyptian star has “no chance” of clinching the title, largely due to the fallout from Real Madrid’s absence at the awards ceremony last year.

Allardyce, now 70, noted that the Brazil international was a strong contender last year, finishing with an impressive tally of 25 goals and 11 assists over 40 matches that season, a feat that played a crucial role in securing Real Madrid’s triumphs in both the UEFA Champions League and La Liga.

Despite Vinicius Jr.’s outstanding performance, he ultimately fell short to Manchester City’s Rodri, who was instrumental in Spain’s victory at Euro 2024 and helped his club secure the Premier League title. Vinicius, conversely, saw his national team exit prematurely in the quarterfinals of the 2024 Copa America.

As this season unfolds, Vinicius Jr. has continued to dazzle on the pitch, racking up 17 goals and 10 assists in just 34 appearances, showcasing his prowess and consistency. Conversely, Salah has also been in spectacular form, scoring an impressive 30 goals and providing 22 assists across all competitions in 39 games for Liverpool.

Allardyce’s assertion rests on the intriguing dynamics between Vinicius and the Ballon d’Or organizers, France Football. He cited the previous year’s incident where Vinicius notably chose not to attend the awards ceremony after realizing he would not be awarded, a decision that seemed to have left a mark on the event’s leadership.

Allardyce remarked, “There’s absolutely no chance for Salah to win. It’ll be Vinicius Jr because of what Real Madrid did last year with their boycott.

“They (France Football) will be on edge about another potential snub, deeply concerned that a repeat scenario could unfold if one of them doesn’t take home the trophy. You might as well place your bets on it now.”