Vinicius Jr Reacts to Ballon d’Or Snub: “I’ll Do It 10 Times If I Have To”

Vinicius Junior took to social media with a fiery reaction after finishing second in the Ballon d’Or voting behind Manchester City’s Rodri. Instead of offering congratulations to the Spanish midfielder, the Real Madrid forward vowed to repeat his own impressive campaign “ten times over” if needed to win the prestigious individual award.

A Surprise Turn of Events

Vinicius had been widely considered the favorite to win the award in the lead-up to the France Football ceremony in Paris on Monday night. However, just before the ceremony, rumors circulated suggesting Rodri had actually secured the top spot in the voting.

This led to Real Madrid opting out of sending a delegation to the awards night, a departure from their usual practice. This meant that despite winning in categories like best men’s team, best coach (Carlo Ancelotti), and the shared Gerd Muller trophy (Kylian Mbappe), no representatives from the Santiago Bernabeu club were present to receive the accolades.

Vinicius’ Post-Ceremony Reaction

Following the ceremony, which saw Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmati win the Feminin award and Rodri receive the men’s prize, Vinicius immediately posted on X: “I’ll do it 10 times if I have to. They’re not ready.”

Real Madrid Under Fire

Real Madrid faced significant criticism on social media for their perceived boycott of the awards night. Some felt it demonstrated a lack of respect towards other players and clubs, while others viewed it as another entitled act from a club frequently accused of feeling aggrieved on footballing matters.

Teammates Echo the Sentiment

One of Vinicius’ teammates, Eduardo Camavinga, also weighed in on X, stating, “football politics” led to the award being incorrectly given to Rodri.

Contextualizing the Controversy

The incident unfolds against the backdrop of Real Madrid’s 4-0 thrashing by arch-rivals Barcelona in El Clasico just the weekend before. Adding to the tension, Barcelona was present at the awards ceremony, claiming the best women’s team trophy and Lamine Yamal receiving the Kopa Trophy for the best under-21 player.

The Ballon d’Or controversy raises questions about parity in football awards and the influence of perceptions and controversies on individual and team recognition.

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