Vitinha tipped for Ballon d'Or: "He looks like he'll never stop improving" | OneFootball

Blaise Matuidi, former Paris Saint-Germain icon, praised Vitinha and considered that the Portuguese international has the potential to aspire to the Ballon d'Or.

For the former player, the fact that Vitinha plays in midfield is not a hindrance, even citing Luka Modrić as an example.

“It gives the impression that he will never stop evolving. At 25, he has not yet reached the peak of his career. I see no limits for him. He is capable, like Luka Modrić [2018], of winning the Ballon d'Or. For a midfielder like him, he will always be more dependent on the team than a goal scorer, but he is capable of achieving it. However, I don't think he thinks about it. From what I understand, he thinks first about the team, the success of the group. But his qualities speak for themselves. And that is what makes him a unique player. We hear little from him, he is discreet on social media, but on the field, he makes 'noise'. Perhaps he is the best midfielder in the world today,” he stated in an interview with L’Équipe.

The former midfielder was also invited to compare the FC Porto-trained midfielder with Thiago Motta. “Thiago had exceptional game intelligence. Vitinha has that ability to always be well-positioned. The difference lies in mobility. Vitinha is a different player because he needs to always be in motion and close to the forwards to dictate the pace of the game,” he noted.

The former French international, who ended his career at Inter Miami (2011), also highlighted Vitinha's hat-trick against Tottenham. “It was exceptional, almost unique. People don't realize how rare it is for a midfielder to score a hat-trick. I think this performance says everything about his game and what he has become. He knows how to do everything,” he remarked.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.