Lionel Messi has sent his congratulatory message to every nominee and winner at the 2024 Ballon d’Or award.
Messi wasn’t present for the award ceremony held at the Châtelet Theatre in Paris, France, as he was excluded from the 30-man shortlist for the 2024 prize.
However, some of his Argentine colleagues were nominated, including Lautaro Martinez, Alejandro Garnacho, and Emiliano Martinez, with the Aston Villa goalie winning the Yashin Award (Best Goalkeeper award) for the second consecutive year.
Rodri claimed the biggest award of the night for the men, with the Spain and Manchester City star picking up the 2024 Ballon d’Or award, outwitting Real Madrid duo Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham.
Lionel Messi Congratulates Nominees And Winners At The 2024 Ballon d’Or Award
Lionel Messi, who has won the most Ballon d’Or awards (8), took to Instagram to congratulate his colleagues.
The 38-year-old wrote: “Congratulations to all the winners and nominated ones for the Ballon d’Or 2024.”
Messi specially congratulated Emiliano Martinez for winning the Yashin award in 2024, writing: “Especially to Dibu, what a great, another award for the best goalkeeper in the world. And to Lautaro, to Scaloni and Garnacho.”
Real Madrid Star Eduardo Camavinga Blasts Ballon d’Or Award Organizers Over Snubbing Vinicius Jr For The Prize
Still seething from the reality of Vinicius Jr being snubbed for the 2024 Ballon d’Or prize, midfielder Eduardo Camavinga has hit out at the organizers of the individual award.
Camavinga implied that the organizers played politics in the results that saw Manchester City and Spain’s Rodri take home the Ballon d’Or ahead of Vinicius Jr.
Additionally, Eduardo Camavinga opined that Vinicius is the best player in the world and that no award can undermine the Brazilian’s footballing prowess.
Many Football Enthusiasts Shocked That Vinicius Junior Didn’t Win The 2024 Ballon d’Or Award
The decision to hand Rodri the award came as a shock to many football enthusiasts and they vociferously made their thoughts known across several platforms.
Several fans were bemused over how about a century of journalists couldn’t hand Vinicius Jr the award despite delineating brilliance in the 2023/24 season.
Vinicius Jr helped Real Madrid claim the UEFA Champions League title alongside the Spanish Super Cup and La Liga last season.
The 24-year-old also scored 26 goals and provided 11 assists for club (Real Madrid) and country (Brazil).
When Did Vinicius Jr Know He Won’t Be Winning The Award?
Reports indicate that a few hours before the ceremony commenced on Monday, October 29, 2024, Los Blancos became aware that Vinicius would not win the Ballon d’Or, and as such, they opted to boycott the award ceremony.
Reacting after Rodri was bestowed with the award, Camavinga took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to post a picture of himself with Vinicius and wrote the words that read:
“FOOTBALL POLITICS. My brother, you are the best player in the world, and no award can say otherwise. Love you, my bro.”
Following the award ceremony, Vinicius Junior also reacted to being snubbed for the honor, writing on X (formerly known as Twitter): “I’ll do it 10x if I have to. They’re not ready.”
