Former Flamengo player is honest about Vini Jr’s phase: “He doesn’t live a…”

French magazine France Football released this Thursday (7) the official list of nominees for the 2025 Ballon d'Or award. Among the main names is striker Vini Jr, revealed by Flamengo and currently one of the main stars of Real Madrid. The winner will be announced on September 22 , in a ceremony held at the Théâtre du Châtelet, in Paris.

The award, no longer linked to FIFA , has once again fueled debate over who was the best player of the European season. Last year, Vini Jr. was considered one of the favorites, but he ultimately lost the trophy to Manchester City's Spanish midfielder Rodri.

VINI JR'S SEASON

Although Real Madrid didn't win any major trophies last season, Vini Jr.'s individual performance was once again outstanding. The Merengue's number 7 broke his personal record for appearances in a single season: 58 matches, scoring 22 goals and providing 16 assists.

Besides Vini Jr, only Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappé represented the Spanish club in the Ballon d'Or list , reinforcing the perception of a year below expectations for the squad led by Carlo Ancelotti.

LIST OF NOMINEES FOR THE BALLOON D'OR

Paris Saint-Germain, winners of the last edition of the Champions League, was the club with the most players among the nominees: nine in total. Among the names mentioned are Dembélé, Donnarumma, Hakimi, and Vitinha . On the other hand, only two Brazilians are among the contenders for the award: Vini Jr., of Real Madrid, and Raphinha, of Barcelona.

Athletico-PR secured a place in the quarterfinals of the Copa do Brasil after beating São Paulo on penalties on Wednesday night (06) at Arena da Baixada. Despite the 1-0 defeat in regular time, CAP qualified by winning on penalties thanks to the decisive performance of goalkeeper Santos, ex-Flamengo , who saved three shots.

In the first leg, played at Morumbi Stadium, the Paraná team had secured a 2-1 victory. With the aggregate score tied, the tie went to penalties. The 35-year-old goalkeeper shone in the penalty shootout, placing Athletico among the top eight in the competition. The club also secured a R$4.7 million prize from the CBF. The opponent in the next round will be determined by a draw.

SANTOS'S TRAJECTORY AT FLAMENGO

Santos arrived at Flamengo in April 2022 from Athletico-PR . Initially a reserve, he became a starter under Dorival Júnior and was a key player in the Copa do Brasil and Libertadores victories that year.

In 2023, he started as a starter under Vítor Pereira, but faced criticism after failing to stop Palmeiras' Mayke in the Brazilian Super Cup. With the arrival of coach Jorge Sampaoli, he lost his place. The Argentine preferred to use Matheus Cunha and, later, Rossi, who finished the season as the goalkeeper. The decline in performance resulted in the goalkeeper's departure from the first team.

SANTOS HAS A CONTRACT WITH FORTALEZA

Currently on loan from Fortaleza, Santos has a contract with the Ceará club until December 2026. Earlier this year, he was loaned to Athletico until the end of 2025, with a renewal clause scheduled for the following season.

Flamengo and Corinthians are in advanced stages of negotiations to establish a strategic partnership focused on jointly marketing broadcast rights and commercial properties for the Brazilian Championship. The agreement between the two clubs has already resulted in a preliminary document with consensual guidelines , which is expected to be signed soon . This information comes from journalist Rodrigo Mattos of UOL.

The alliance comes after both teams, which boast the largest fan bases in the country, opted out of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) proposed by Libra and LFU , which envisaged the centralization of media and commercial rights in a future league. Fears of financial losses and the devaluation of TV assets prompted the clubs to seek an alternative that prioritizes their own economic interests.

DIRECT CONVERSATIONS AND POLITICAL ALIGNMENT

The negotiations gained momentum with the closer dialogue between presidents Luiz Eduardo Baptista ( Flamengo ) and Osmar Stabile (Corinthians). If the impeachment process of suspended president Augusto Melo is approved this Saturday, the expectation is that the agreement will be immediately formalized , since the president of the Corinthians Deliberative Council, Romeu Tuma Jr., also participated in the negotiations and supports the initiative.

FOCUS ON REVENUE MAXIMIZATION

According to the directors, Flamengo and Corinthians account for approximately 39% to 40% of Brazilian soccer's national audience. However, in the contracts signed with LFU and Libra, the share received by both is around 13% to 15% of total revenue , resulting in approximately R$400 million. Flamengo, in fact, considers this amount below what would be fair and disputes its participation in Libra.

The agreement under discussion is a new exclusive MOU between Flamengo and Corinthians, which would establish the principles for creating a joint entity . There will also be a period of study to define the foundations and operational details of the partnership.

PARTNERSHIP FROM 2030

Under the initial terms, the cooperation would come into effect in 2030, after the current contracts expire. The marketing of the Brazilian Championship's TV rights and commercial properties —such as billboards and sponsorships—would be conducted jointly, without individual negotiations between the clubs and interested companies. The revenue sharing between Flamengo and Corinthians will be discussed and formalized at a later date.

POSSIBLE NEW AGREEMENTS

The partnership also opens the door to other collaborations in areas such as marketing and joint promotional activities, although this is still in the early stages of discussion. All commercial decisions, however, will follow the statutory procedures and must be approved by the Deliberative Councils of both clubs.

ALIGNED POLITICAL ACTION

In addition to the financial aspect, the pact stipulates that Flamengo and Corinthians will adopt unified positions on political issues, such as league participation, Brasileirão governance, and Financial Fair Play proposals . In theory, the two clubs could join a future national league—such as the "New League"—as long as they maintain autonomy over their commercial contracts.

The creation of this alliance seeks to simultaneously protect the revenues of both giants and avoid isolation in a scenario of fragmented negotiations, where joint strength can increase bargaining power vis-à-vis media outlets. Finally, the agreement also provides for the sharing of best management, governance, and internal regulation practices , aiming to strengthen the institutional framework of Flamengo and Corinthians.