Real Madrid has revoked the proposed journey of its delegation to the Ballon d’Or ceremony in Paris on Monday at the eleventh hour. This unexpected decision came about owing to the awareness that Vinícius Júnior, their Brazilian forward, would not be securing the men’s prize.
Being the player of the year in the Champions League, 24-year old Vinícius was strongly expected by bookies to take home his maiden Ballon d’Or awarded to the world’s top-notch player. He was favoured over Rodri, Manchester City’s Spanish midfielder, and Jude Bellingham, his fellow Real and England teammate.
In his remarkable debut season, Bellingham delivered a career high of 19 goals, contributing immensely towards Real’s back-to-back Champions League-La Liga triumphs last season. His outstanding performance earned him the title of the best player in La Liga while also leading England to be finalists at Euro 2024.
Rodri, lauded by Pep Guardiola, his Manchester City manager, as “the finest midfielder on the planet”, was vital to his side’s remarkable feat of winning the Premier League for an unheard of fourth successive time last season. He was also distinguished as the best player in the year’s European Championship as Spain celebrated their fourth title, setting a new record.
Real and France Football, the organisers of the Ballon d’Or awards, have yet to offer a public statement regarding this issue. The awards’ selection process is determined by the votes of a group of media personnel from the top 100 Fifa-ranked nations.