Vinicius Jr. of Real Madrid is certain to lose to Rodri in the Ballon d’Or, and the Spanish team has chosen to skip the event, accusing UEFA of treating them disrespectfully.
According to Real Madrid, UEFA and the organizers “don’t respect them” because they chose not to consider Vinicius Jr. for the Ballon d’Or.
The Spanish powerhouses were hopeful that one of their top players would take home the coveted trophy, but rumors have surfaced that Rodri, another favorite to win the gong, beat him to the Golden Ball.
Los Blancos have therefore made the decision to abstain from the event in Paris, and nobody associated with the club will be present. Following Real’s triumph in La Liga and the Champions League, Vinicius was one of six Real nominees on the award’s 30-player shortlist.
Despite their participation in the Ballon d’Or, Dani Carvajal, Jude Bellingham, Fede Valverde, Kylian Mbappe, and Antonio Rudiger will not be in France, nor will manager Carlo Ancelotti or president Florentino Perez, who attacked the organizers.
According to what they told AFP, “Carvajal should be the winner if the award criteria do not name Vinicius as the winner. It is evident that Ballon d’Or-UEFA does not recognize Real Madrid because this was not the case. Furthermore, Real Madrid avoids situations in which it is not recognized.
The main reason for Rodri’s achievement is that he was instrumental in Spain’s victory in Euro 2024. Carvajal was a member of the Spanish team, but the Manchester City star, who added another Premier League title to his resume, was chosen as the tournament’s finest player.
Real asserts that if international success is what they have used as their primary argument, then his involvement—along with the fact that he has won the Champions League—should put him ahead of Rodri. Brazil’s defeat prevented Vinicius from adding the Copa America to his summertime European triumph.
Their most recent winner, Karim Benzema, took home the prize in 2022. They have also witnessed Luka Modric, Cristiano Ronaldo, Fabio Cannavaro, and Ronaldo win the Golden Ball since the year 2000.
In the meantime, Rodri is expected to become the first Premier League champion since Ronaldo in 2008. Luis de la Fuente, the national leader, has named him the most deserved man, putting him in line to become the first Spanish winner in over 60 years.
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