Cristiano Ronaldo, a five-time Ballon d’Or winner, has expressed his discontent over Real Madrid star Vinícius Jr. missing out on this year’s prestigious award.
The 2024 Ballon d’Or was awarded to Manchester City midfielder Rodri in October, with Vinícius finishing as runner-up. While Rodri played a key role in City’s fourth consecutive Premier League title and Spain’s Euro 2024 triumph, Vinícius was instrumental in guiding Real Madrid to a record 15th Champions League title.
Speaking at the Globe Soccer Awards, Ronaldo, who previously played for Real Madrid, shared his dissatisfaction with the result.
“In my opinion, he deserved to win the Golden Ball. It was unfair—I say it here in front of everybody,” said Ronaldo. “They gave it to Rodri, who deserved it too, but I think they should have given it to Vinícius because he won the Champions League.”
This year’s Ballon d’Or ceremony in Paris was overshadowed by Real Madrid’s decision to boycott the event, citing dissatisfaction with the outcome.
Ronaldo, who ranks second only to Lionel Messi’s six Ballon d’Or wins, reinforced his stance, highlighting Vinícius’ contributions to Real Madrid’s European success.
The Ballon d’Or winner is selected by an international panel of 100 specialist journalists, who vote from a shortlist of nominees. Despite finishing second, Vinícius’ omission from the top spot has sparked debate within the footballing world.
