Bruno Porzio, a journalist voting for the Ballon d’Or for El Salvador has delivered a puzzling assessment of Vinicius Junior.
The journalist surprisingly excluded Vinicius from his top 10 list of the best players in the world in 2024.
Bruno Porzio Shares His Thoughts On How He Voted In The 2024 Ballon d’Or Award
Porzio made it known that he earmarked Jude Bellingham at the top spot due to his brilliance for Real Madrid and England between 2023 and 2024.
He also shared that doesn’t consider Vinicius Jr a decisive player, stressing that the attacker only “impacts the pitch in a small area”.
The El Salvador voter claimed that due to the aforementioned stance, Vinicius is not a complete player and he is also not part of the top 10 players in Europe.
El Salvadorian Journalist Opts Not To Vote Vinicius Jr Because Of His Attitude
Bruno Porzio also cited Vinicius Jr’s attitude as a reason why he opted not to include the footballer in his top 10, although he claimed that the Brazilian is “a good player but lacks respect for his opponents.”
Speaking during an interview on the Spanish media outlet, El Chiringuito TV, Porzio said:
“I didn’t put Vinicius Jr in my top 10 vote because he’s not an example of fair play. He’s a good player but lacks respect for his opponents.
“I put Bellingham first because he arrived at Real Madrid at the age of 20, wearing a very important shirt.
“At that age he placed himself in a central position of the field and made a large number of goals and assists. He took England to the Euro final and for me he was the best Madrid player of last year.”
Overriding Human Angle To Ballon d’Or Voting
Bruno Porzio’s assertion looked strange to many football enthusiasts, as it showed that there were odd and illogical aspects to the voting.
It also noted that some votes might have been cast based on personal biases rather than realistic assessments.
Bruno Porzio’s Thought On Rodri Winning The 2024 Ballon d’Or Award
Porzio also delivered his thoughts on Rodri as the Ballon d’Or winner, sharing that by his position the Manchester City man shouldn’t have claimed the individual prize.
Bruno Porzio said: “He’s a player who was not able to go far into the Champions League, he was knocked out very in the competiton. A decisive player doesn’t get eliminated so early.
“Spain won the Euros undeservedly because had Cucurella’s handball been sanctioned, it would have been in a penalty, which is why I don’t consider Spain’s Euros to be valid for my vote. I can’t give him the Ballon d’Or simply on the basis of five matches.”
Who Bruno Porzio Voted For In The Top 10 Of The 2024 Ballon d’Or Award
Porzio voted Ruben Dias in the 10th position behind Phil Foden, whom he put in the 9th spot.
Florian Wirtz was placed 8th on his list, while Rodri came 7th. Hakan Calhanoglu got a place in 6th, while Dani Olmo and Lautaro Martinez were voted in 5th and 4th respectively.
Toni Kroos, Erling Haaland, and Jude Bellingham earned a place in 3rd, 2nd, and 1st on Bruno Porzio’s list.
Real Madrid were already making plans to travel to Paris, France, to celebrate a potential Ballon d’Or triumph by Vinicius Jr before they were informed that the Brazil international would not be claiming the prize, much to their dismay and they decided to boycott the award ceremony.
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) in the time frame considered.
