Vinicius Jr Breaks Silence After Losing Ballon d’Or To Rodri

Real Madrid forward, Vinicius Junior has finally spoken out after choosing not to attend this year’s Ballon d’Or ceremony.

The decision came after reports emerged that the award would go to Manchester City midfielder Rodri, rather than Vinicius.

Both Vinicius and Real Madrid opted to skip the event at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris once the news spread.

Real Madrid had been hoping that if Vinicius wasn’t selected, the award might go to their right-back, Dani Carvajal, who helped the team secure wins in La Liga, the Champions League, and contributed to Spain’s Euro success.

However, when news broke that Rodri would indeed receive the Ballon d’Or, Real Madrid reacted strongly, instructing their players and representatives not to attend the ceremony.

After Rodri emotionally accepted the award, Vinicius took to X formerly known as Twitter, to address the situation.

He wrote, “I’ll do it 10x if I have to. They’re not ready” suggesting he’s determined to keep pushing for future achievements.

At 24, Vinicius was widely seen as a leading contender for the 2024 Ballon d’Or due to his outstanding season, with six goals and four assists in the Champions League and 20 goal contributions in La Liga across 26 matches.

Earlier in the day, Real Madrid had commented, saying, “If the criteria of the award do not proclaim Vinicius the winner, those same criteria must proclaim Carvajal the winner.”

‘Since this has not been the case, it is obvious that the Ballon d’Or and UEFA do not respect Real Madrid. And Real Madrid is not where it is not respected.’

KanyiDaily recalls that Vinicius Junior condemned the racist behavior he endured during a match against Valencia at the Mestalla stadium in La Liga, Spain.