A key potential development this week will lead to a Real Madrid star being in pole position to win the Ballon d'Or in 2024 according to OK Diario, which argued the player's case on the eve of a Champions League semifinal second leg clash with Bayern Munich.

At a prematch press conference on Tuesday, Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti admitted that the Bavarians were "much better" than his team during their first encounter at the Allianz Arena.

The home side enjoyed a flurry of chances early in the first half, and then netted twice in four minutes not long after half time.

It is only because of Vinicius that the 14-time winners of the competition are still in the fight.

Latching onto a delicious Toni Kroos pass and converting with his first touch past Manuel Neuer on 24 minutes, he then equalized approaching full time by cooly slotting past the German giant from the penalty spot to set up a mouthwatering tie in the Bernabeu on Wednesday evening in Spain.

According to OK Diario, it will be Vinicius once more taking the tie by the scruff of the knock, and leading Los Blancos to a Wembley final against Bayern's domestic rivals Borussia Dortmund, which will put him in pole position to land the sport's highest individual accolade - France Football's Ballon d'Or - at the end of the year.

Going all the way in London, and perhaps even netting the winner as he did in Paris against Liverpool in 2021/2022, would pretty much seal the deal.

After all, Vinicius has again been hugely decisive this term despite injuries sidelining him for the first time in his career.

Though making just 24 La Liga appearances, he notched 13 goals and six assists which helped Madrid seal a record-extending 36th Spanish top flight crown last weekend.

In the Spanish Super Cup final, he fired off a first half hat trick in El Clasico to sink holders FC Barcelona, who will finish this season trophyless.

It is on the highest of stages where Vinicius really proves his mettle, however, and though his group stage return of two goals and three assists could have been better and was again injury-influenced, he has really come alive at crunch time.

In the second leg of the last 16 against Leipzig, he scored the goal that put Madrid through to the quarterfinals.

There, against holders Manchester City, he provided two assists that were vital in securing a 4-4 aggregate score before Ancelotti's men prevailed on penalties.

As said, his two strikes at the Allianz Arena mean that Madrid go into another meeting with Bayern hopeful of getting the job done in the last four.

And with no clear competitors elsewhere across Europe - with the award's current owner Lionel Messi now playing his trade in the U.S. - it will be hard to see anyone other than teammate Jude Bellingham challenging a man who has come up with the most goals (31), assists (15), decisive passes (66) and successful dribbles (101) across the last three seasons for one of the world's biggest clubs.

Ultimately, it could be whoever does better in the Bayern second leg, a potential UCL final, and then at the Copa America for Brazil or Euros with England which might sway the jury on Vinicius and Bellingham.