Manchester City and Spain midfielder Rodri was crowned the latest Ballon d’Or winner in a star-studded ceremony in Paris last month, a result that left Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr visibly disappointed.
Vinicius, considered one of the frontrunners for the award, chose not to attend the ceremony upon learning that Rodri had claimed the prestigious trophy. Rodri’s triumph came on the back of standout performances for Manchester City, the reigning Premier League champions, and his crucial role in Spain’s Euro 2024 victory.
The Ballon d’Or selection, determined by a panel of 99 judges who each submitted their top ten players, awarded points based on placement—first place receiving 15 points, followed by 12, 10, eight, and so on. According to L’Equipe, Rodri topped the list with 1,170 points, narrowly edging out Vinicius by 41 points, as the Real Madrid star finished with 1,129 points.
Notably, Vinicius, despite his impressive form for Madrid, was omitted from the top ten by three of the voters, which many found puzzling. His Real Madrid teammate Jude Bellingham placed third, though with a significant gap, garnering 917 points. Furious with the results, Real Madrid effectively boycotted the ceremony, issuing a strong statement:
“If the award criteria doesn’t give it to Vinicius as the winner, then those same criteria should point to Carvajal as the winner. As this was not the case, it is clear that Ballon d’Or-UEFA does not respect Real Madrid. And Real Madrid does not go where it is not respected.”
Following the controversy, former Brazil star Rivaldo offered advice to Vinicius, urging him to focus on his performances for Madrid but predicting he could still achieve the Ballon d’Or in the future. “Vinicius has to get this Ballon d’Or story out of his head, start playing again and start playing well for Real Madrid, who have to win games after two consecutive defeats. Vinicius is young, he has the age and the football to turn all this around.”
Rivaldo expressed confidence in Vinicius’s potential to become the best in the world but acknowledged Rodri’s achievement: “One day he will win the Ballon d’Or. He could be the best in the world one or more times. Do all the journalists who vote really understand football? Are all of them, absolutely all of them, really qualified people? I can’t underestimate Rodri. He’s a player I like. For me, he was my second candidate. And yes, although I think Vinicius deserved the Ballon d’Or more, I can’t take away any merit from the award, because I really admire Rodri—his way of playing and his style. I like him.”
