Vinicius Junior Breaks His Silence After His Ballon d’Or Snub: “They’re Not Ready”

Football fans were left in shock after it was revealed that Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior wasn’t going to win the 2024 men’s Ballon d’Or. Instead of Vini, Manchester City’s Rodri claimed his first ever Ballon d’Or. Rodri became the first Spaniard to clinch this prestigious individual honor in almost 64 years.

However, many felt that Vinicius was robbed of the honor. The 24-year-old Brazilian played an instrumental role in Real Madrid’s La Liga, Spanish Super Cup and Champions League triumphs last season. In fact, the Brazilian winger registered 24 goals and 11 assists in 39 appearances across all competitions. Meanwhile, Rodri clinched his fourth straight Premier League title with Manchester City and played a pivotal role in Spain's 2024 Euro victory. The third finalist in Ballon d’Or’s shortlist was Jude Bellingham. The 21-year-old Englishman took the football world by storm after delivering stellar performances for Los Blancos week-in, week-out. However, his form tailed off by the end of the season. Despite that, Bellingham managed to score 23 goals and provided 11 assists in 40 appearances across all competitions. 

However, due to what they felt was an unjust snub of Vinícius Jr., Real Madrid's entire delegation—including Kylian Mbappé, Jude Bellingham, Fede Valverde, Antonio Rüdiger, Dani Carvajal, manager Carlo Ancelotti, and club president Florentino Pérez—chose not to attend the ceremony at the Châtelet Theatre. Following his heartbreaking snub, Vinicius posted a cryptic message on his official social media handles. The 24-year-old wrote, “I'll do it 10x if I have to. They're not ready” According to Vinicius’ management, the cryptic post referred to his fight against racism. Moreover, they even claimed that the 24-year-old is convinced that his outspoken stance against racism may have played a role in him missing out on the Ballon d'Or. They said, “The football world is not ready to accept a player who fights against the system.” 

Several of Vinicius Junior’s Real Madrid came out in his support, with many writing “You are the best,” under Vini’s post. Brazilian women’s legend Marta also came out in his support. She said, “I waited all year for Vini Jr to be deservedly recognised as the best player in the world and now they come to tell me that the Ballon d'Or is not for him?"  Vini’s good friend and Madrid teammate Eduardo Camavinga also posted a heartfelt response to Vini’s snub. He wrote, “FOOTBALL POLITICS X. My brother, you are the best player in the world and no award can say otherwise. Love you my bro.” It’s fair to suggest that the organizer’s decision to snub Vinicius for the 2024 Ballon d’Or hasn’t gone down well with the masses. The Brazilian will be looking to prove his critics and doubters wrong when Los Blancos take to field on Saturday to face Valencia.