The 2024 Men’s Ballon d’Or award has continued to generate reactions after Vinicius Jr was denied the award by the organizers.
The Real Madrid star was a hot favourite to clinch the coveted laurel after a standout performance for Real Madrid in the 2023-24 season.
He won the La Liga with the club, contributing 20 goals and was also terrific at the European scene, winning the 2023-24 UEFA Champions League.
The Brazilian sensation missed out on the prestigious award to Manchester City and Spain midfielder Rodri, while his Real Madrid teammate Jude Bellingham came third.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid dominated the headlines a few hours before the award when reports emerged they had decided to boycott the ceremony after Vinicius Jr was snubbed.
The club’s president Florentino Perez called off a planned trip to Paris after they learned Vinicius Jr was not the winner designate for the award.
Vinicius Jr blames his fight against racism for 2024 Ballon d’Or snub
Reacting to his snub by organizers of the award, Vinicius Jr wrote on X: ‘I will do it 10 times if I have to. They’re not ready.’
Now, according to Reuters, sources close to the footballer have revealed the player has attributed his Ballon d’Or snub to his fight against racism.
A member of the Brazilian’s management revealed Vinicius Jr is unhappy that ‘the football world is not ready to accept a player who fights against the system.’
He has been at the centre of discussions on racism in football, having been target to abuse at least 16 occasions in recent years. In September 2024, he suggested that Spain should not host the World Cup in 2030 unless action is taken over the issue.
His remarks were quickly dismissed by LaLiga president Javier Tebas, who labelled them as ‘incoherent’.
”I think that, if you look, you will see that his statements were not entirely consistent with what he himself says in the interview.’ He told Football Espana. ‘At the same time that he was saying that perhaps the World Cup should be re-considered, he was also saying that Spain is not a racist country,” Javier Tebas said.
Also, the footballer was down in tears at a press conference earlier this year when discussing the subject.
‘If the situation with racism in Spain does not improve before 2030, the World Cup would have to be moved to a different location,’ Vinicius said.
He went on to blast racists who don’t understand how it hurts if a person is insulted because of the colour of their skin.
Real Madrid blame UEFA for ‘historic robbery’
While the footballer continues to rage over the decision, his club Real Madrid have battled UEFA for colluding with the organizers of the Ballon d’Or – France Football – to ‘rob’ the player of the award.
The club made it clear they called off their planned trip to Paris because they felt disrespected by UEFA and France Football.
Meanwhile, organizers of the award have revealed Vinicius Jr lost out because three Real Madrid players made it to the top 5 in the rankings.
Real Madrid is now reportedly planning to boycott the award going forward while focusing on sporting success in La Liga and Europe.
The full voting results of the 2024 Ballon d’Or rankings will be released on November 9, 2024. The results will show how the different journalists voted for the award and the number of votes per a nominee.
