Vinícius Jr. and Real Madrid Boycott Ballon d’Or Ceremony in Paris
Real Madrid forward Vinícius Jr., a strong contender for the men’s Ballon d’Or, did not attend the award ceremony held in Paris on Monday. Despite his impressive season, which included 24 goals, the Brazilian chose to boycott the event. The award for best player of the season went to Rodri, a midfielder for Manchester City, while Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmatí was named the best female player.
The Real Madrid players opted out of the ceremony, citing the lack of recognition for Vinícius Jr. as unjust. Carlo Ancelotti, who was named the world’s best coach, also did not accept his award due to his absence.
Real Madrid, which won the title of best men’s team, expressed concerns about the criteria used to determine the Ballon d’Or winner. The club pointed out that Dani Carvajal, another nominee, was similarly overlooked despite scoring the first goal in the Champions League final against Borussia Dortmund. Vinícius Jr. sealed the victory with a second goal, leading to a 2-0 win at Wembley Stadium on June 1.
Vinícius Jr. had a strong following in a public vote conducted by L’Équipe, where he received 41.3% of the votes compared to Rodri’s 13.5%. The Spanish player faced boos upon his arrival at the ceremony in Paris.
In a post on X, Vinícius Jr. stated, “I will do it ten times if necessary. They are not ready.” Ancelotti thanked his family, club, and players in a message, particularly highlighting Vinícius and Carvajal.
Regarding their absence, Real Madrid expressed that they cannot participate in an event where they feel disrespected. The club emphasized that if the award criteria did not recognize Vinícius as the winner, then they should have awarded Carvajal instead. The manager of the Ballon d’Or insisted that no player or club knows the winner beforehand and that all nominees were invited to the ceremony.
This year’s awards featured a change as the winner’s identity was kept secret until the end to prevent leaks to the media. Previous ceremonies had revealed the winner days in advance.
The absence of Vinícius Jr. and his teammates marks a significant setback for the awards ceremony. Meanwhile, Rodri became the first Spanish player to win the Ballon d’Or since 1960.
The Ballon d’Or, awarded by France Football since 1956, evaluates players based on votes from journalists from 100 countries. Initially, the award was exclusive to European players but has expanded to include all nationalities since 2006.
Journalists select a list of 30 finalists, and each votes for their top five players. Points are awarded based on their ranking. In 2023, Lionel Messi won the Ballon d’Or with 462 points, reflecting his contributions to Argentina’s World Cup victory, Paris Saint-Germain, and Inter Miami, while Erling Haaland from Manchester City finished second with 357 points.
This year, Spanish media had positioned Vinícius Jr. as a leading candidate for the award given his vital role in securing the Champions League and La Liga titles for Real Madrid. Last year, he was also honored with the Sócrates Award for his humanitarian efforts through the Vini Jr. Institute, which focuses on educating youth through sports.