Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr has broken his silence after losing the 2024 Men’s Ballon d’Or award to Rodri of Manchester City.
Recall that Vinicius, his Real Madrid teammates and the club’s crew boycotted the 2024 Ballon d’Or ceremony after reports emerged the Brazilian would not win the award.
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti was particularly vocal on Vinicius Jr’s chances for the award.
According to the Italian and European football veteran, Vinicius Jr was the most qualified footballer to win the award and no other player was close to his benchmarks in the said season.
However, Manchester City’s Rodri beat the Brazilian to the coveted laurel, becoming the first Premier League player to win it after Cristiano Ronaldo in 2008.
Vinicius Jr reacts to 2024 Ballon d’Or snub
Reacting to his snub for the prestigious award, Vinicius Jr took to his social media handle to aim a subtle dig at the organizers of the award.
He wrote on X, “I’ll do it 10x if I have to. They are not ready.”
The footballer asserted his claim that he was still the best in the season and wouldn’t mind even doing better in subsequent campaigns despite the deadlock.
Vinicius Jr had a stellar season with Real Madrid in the 2023-24 season. He was involved in 20 goals as the club won the La Liga title. He also scored six Champions League goals with 4 assists to win the UEFA Champions League as well.
However, he was trapped with a subdued outing with his national team Brazil in 2026 CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers and the 2024 Copa America.
Rodri equally had a stellar campaign with Manchester City in the Premier League, winning the title and also reaching the semifinals of the UEFA Champions League. His biggest selling point was winning the 2024 Euros with Spain’s national team.
Ballon d’Or organizers reveals why Vinicius Jr lost 2024 Ballon d’Or award to Rodri
According to France Football journalist Vincent Garcia, Vinicius Jr was close to winning the award but the presence of Jude Bellingham and Dani Carvajal in the top 5 rankings impacted the Brazilian’s chances.
“It was close. Vinícius probably suffered from the presence of Jude Bellingham & Dani Carvajal in Top 5,” Garcia said as shared by MadridXtra.
Garcia also added that both Real Madrid and Manchester City weren’t informed of the potential winner of the award.
Note that France Football had made it clear that the 68th edition of the award will depart from previous traditions with the winner only announced at the event and not disclosed to the club’s or players before hand.
Real Madrid boycotted the award in the last hours after reports emerged that Vinicius Jr will not win the award. Sources close to the club have revealed they felt disrespected and decided to call off their planned trip to the ceremony due to the shock snub.
Meanwhile, they had reportedly put pressure on the organizers of the award to disclose the winner after their 4-0 loss to Barcelona in the El Clasico. Kylian Mbappe and Carlo Ancelotti won the Best Men’s Coach of the Year and the Gerd Muller Trophy, respectively but weren’t present at the event to receive the awards.
The club is now reportedly focusing on getting back to winning ways after the El Clasico defeat. Some reports claim they have blamed UEFA for Vinicius Jr’s snub and may not attend subsequent editions of the award in the future.
Football fans and pundits are now eagerly awaiting the release of the full voting result for the award which is slated for November 9, 2024.
