“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. Why would you go to Real Madrid to stand out? 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. 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 while one can never write off Real Madrid, it certainly seemed like the perfect chance for a clean break for all involved.