Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr has finally spoken out after deciding not to attend the Ballon d’Or ceremony, where Manchester City star Rodri was unexpectedly crowned the world’s best player.
Vinicius, who was widely anticipated as a top contender for football’s highest individual honor, missed out on the award despite an outstanding season that saw him play a key role in Real Madrid’s successes in both the Champions League and La Liga.
Alongside his Real Madrid teammates, including Jude Bellingham, Vinicius opted to skip the event after a premature leak indicated Rodri had secured the top spot.
The Brazilian star expressed his frustration with the voting process, asserting, “I’ll do it 10x if I have to. They’re not ready,” underscoring his determination to prove himself.
Vinicius finished last season with a remarkable 24 goals and 11 assists, scoring decisive goals in the Champions League, including two goals against Bayern Munich in the semi-final and a final goal against Dortmund.
However, his stellar contributions were ultimately overshadowed by Rodri, who won for his instrumental role in Manchester City’s record fourth consecutive Premier League title and Spain’s Euro 2024 victory, where he earned player of the tournament.
Real Madrid’s absence at the ceremony led to awkward moments, notably when the club was awarded Men’s Club of the Year with no representatives present to accept the honor.
The ceremony also saw Kylian Mbappe and Harry Kane share the Gerd Muller Trophy, though Mbappe was also absent.
Rodri, meanwhile, received the award on crutches, recovering from an ACL injury, becoming only the third player in recent years to break the 16-year dominance of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, following Luka Modric in 2018 and Karim Benzema in 2022.