Real Madrid snubbed the Ballon d’Or 2024 ceremony in Paris, France. The decision comes In protest of Vinícius Júnior missing out on the biggest individual trophy in the world of soccer. The incident will go down as a lack of sportsmanship in the history of the famed club.
No recipient on stage for Real Madrid’s multiple awards
Although some argued on Rodri’s credibility, most people expected Vinícius would be handed his first Ballon d’Or. But, all of a sudden, reports start to emerge about a turn of events.
Few believed the organizers when they mentioned this year’s winner would not be known ahead of time. But they did keep it a secret until Real Madrid’s snub hinted at Rodri winning the accolade.
From Florentino Pérez to every player, Real Madrid completely disappeared from attending the highly-respected ceremony. And that came under scrutiny well before the closing act that rewarded Rodri’s performances with Manchester City and the Spain national team.
Real Madrid is selected as the Men’s Club of the Year ahead of Bayer Leverkusen and Manchester City. In the newly added coaching category, Carlo Ancelotti won the award. And Kylian Mbappé shared the Gerd Müller trophy with Harry Kane for scoring the most goals in the 2023-24 season.
But there was no representative from the club to receive these awards on the stage. Kane didn’t hold back when he was asked about Mbappé’s disappearance. “Winning this award is a huge honor. As for why he’s not here, you’d have to ask him. But, for me, being here tonight is an honor in itself,” he says.
International soccer big factor in deciding the winner
Over the years, international tournaments have been considered big factors in deciding Ballon d’Or winners. Especially Ronaldo’s triumph in 2002 was attributed to his excellent World Cup performance for Brazil after missing the vast majority of the club season due to an injury.
European Championship and Copa America don’t have equal weight to the World Cup, but there is more focus on the international stage than the odd years. And, in that regard, there is simply one winner between Rodri and Vini Jr.
Although he was off injured in the first half of the final against England, Rodri’s Spain went all the way to win Euro 2024. Vini Jr. only scored twice for Brazil in 2023-24 and he had an extremely disappointing Copa America campaign, culminating in him missing the defeat to Uruguay due to suspension.
When George Weah, the only African player to win the Ballon d’Or, was on stage to unveil the winner, all the cameras were on Rodri. After all, the other candidates who made it into the top four – Vini Jr., Jude Bellingham and Dani Carvajal – aren’t present.
For a club of Real Madrid’s prestige, it presented them as a sore loser on a night of celebration. But it’s not new for their outspoken president. Pérez is the main instigator in the European Super League (ESL) plans.
No club has more Ballon d’Or winners than Real Madrid (8). And, with Vini Jr. only 24, he’s still within a chance to add to that number. But, for now, the world’s greatest club had a night to forget on a big stage.
Photo: IMAGO / Ulmer
