Real Madrid have announced that they will boycott Monday’s Ballon d’Or ceremony in Paris, expressing frustration over what they see as a snub of their Brazilian striker, Vinicius Jr., despite his status as bookmakers’ favourite to win the prestigious award.
The club reportedly questioned the selection methods, contending that their star defender Dani Carvajal was also overlooked unfairly. Carvajal and Vinicius both scored in Real’s 2-0 Champions League final victory over Borussia Dortmund, with Carvajal netting the opener and Vinicius rounding off the win.
Real Madrid asserted that if the award criteria do not favour Vinicius, they should logically point to Carvajal as a strong candidate.
“If the award criteria doesn’t give it to Vinicius as the winner, then those same criteria should point to Carvajal as the winner,” Real Madrid told AFP.
“As this was not the case, it is clear that Ballon d’Or-UEFA does not respect Real Madrid. And Real Madrid does not go where it is not respected,” the club said.
This year, organisers opted to keep the winner’s identity secret until the award ceremony, unlike past years when the winner was revealed days in advance. The Ballon d’Or organisers responded to Madrid’s boycott by stating that no player or club was informed of the results beforehand.
Real’s absence strongly implies that neither Vinicius, Carvajal, nor midfielder Jude Bellingham will claim the title, potentially leaving the field open for Manchester City’s Rodri, who was voted Euro 2024’s player of the tournament.