Table of Contents
- Vinicius Jr Ballon d’Or miss still has the football world in shock days after the winner was made public
- The 24-year-old, who has been sensational in recent years, appeared to be all set to claim the prestigious award until Monday afternoon when sources revealed that he was not the winner
- Vini believes he missed out on the prestigious award because of his fight against racism
Vinicius Jr Ballon d’Or miss still has the football world in shock days after the winner was made public. On Monday (October 28), France football crowned Manchester City’s Rodri as the winner of this year’s Ballon d’Or. Real Madrid’s lethal attacker Vinicius finished second in the rankings, causing intense debate on social media with many fans arguing that Vini had been robbed.
The 24-year-old, who has been sensational in recent years, appeared to be all set to claim the prestigious award until Monday afternoon when sources revealed that he was not the winner. The name of the winner of the award had been leaked on social media hours before the glittering ceremony.
Vinicius Jr during a past match. Photo/ CNN.
After getting wind of Rodri’s success, Vini and a contingent of Real Madrid players as well as manager Carlo Ancelotti, who was named Coach of the Year, decided to boycott the ceremony in Paris, France, as they believed the Brazilian should have bagged the prized individual honour. The talented winger has received a lot of support from fans, teammates and the likes of Karim Benzema who think he should have beaten Rodri to the award.
“I have nothing against Rodri, he’s a good player, but I’m sitting on my couch watching TV and Rodri doesn’t do anything that makes you say ‘wow’. Vinicius has done it to me more than once, so it’s a bit of a shame because he deserved the Ballon d’Or. Yesterday I was talking to Vinicius and he is strong enough to work and one day he will have it.” Karim Benzema is quoted by Goal.com.
Criteria For Winning Ballon d’Or
2024 marked the first year that France Football co-organized the Ballon d’Or event with UEFA. According to the latter, the Ballon d’Or is “awarded by an international jury of specialized journalists, with one representative per country, from the top 100 in the latest FIFA rankings”.
When it comes voting for the winner, every member selects a list of the players starting with the best from a list of 30 names that had already been picked by France football. The top ten players are awarded 15, 12, 10, 8, 7, 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1 point in that order and then the player with the highest number of points is crowned champion.
When awarding points, the journalists first consider a player’s individual performance, which carries decision making and impressive character. The second thing that is put into consideration is team performance and achievements that year. Finally, the jurors weigh class and flair play.
How Vinicius Found Out He Was Not The Winner
Vinicius Jr Ballon d’Or miss has been the talk of town since the ceremony took place in Paris. The Brazilian, alongside club teammate Jude Bellingham, played a massive role in the Los Blancos’ success last season as they won the UEFA Champions League and La Liga.
Whereas Real Madrid was named Club of the Year and Ancelotti crowned Coach of the Year, the club cancelled plans to attend the Ballon d’Or ceremony after learning that Vinicius had lost the Ballon d’Or trophy to City’s Rodri.
Vinicius and Real Madrid learnt of Rodri’s success a few hours before the ceremony after the info was leaked on the internet via reliable sources hence cancelling plans to attend the ceremony.
Why Vinicius Didn’t Win The Ballon d’Or
Vinicius Jr believes he didn’t win the Ballon d’Or because of his fight against racism. Photo/ Football Espana.
Vinicius Jr Ballon d’Or miss spark a lot of reaction on the internet, with many fans asking why he was ‘robbed’. According to the Brazilian, he missed out on the prestigious award because of his fight against racism. He made a post on his X account stating: “I’ll do it 10x if I have to. They’re not ready.”
His management staff later expounded the post saying that football is not ready to accept a player fighting against racial discrimination. Vinicius has been very vocal against racism and even showed support to Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal, Raphinha and Alejandro Balde after they were racially abused at the Santiago Bernabeu during El Clasico.
Real Madrid, who were thrashed 4-0 by rivals Barcelona, will be back in action tonight against Italian side AC Milan in the UEFA Champions League.
