Vinicius Jr Gives Reason Why He Skipped the Ballon d’Or Ceremony
Vinicius Jr. came very close to winning the Ballon d'Or in 2024. He finished second in the rankings, with Manchester City superstar Rodri winning the prize.
The Los Blancos camp believed Vinicius deserved to win the prize. Due to the snub, they decided to skip the gala in Paris.
Vinicius has now opened up on his take on the situation. He also revealed that Real Madrid, in fact, told him to skip the ceremony.
He told the media:
I didn't feel betrayed [by not winning]. There are people who vote for what they believe. I have my thoughts, my team-mates too. I have never dreamed of winning the Ballon d'Or. Of course, when you're close to winning it you want to win it, but I'll have options to win other awards. I've already won two Champions Leagues and I'm here to win a lot more.
Speaking about the decision to not attend, he said:
Always the club's [decision]. I do what the club tells me to do. They asked me to stay in Madrid and I did it calmly.
Vinicius, though, won the FIFA The Best award in 2024. He has also been a key player for Los Blancos this season. In 35 appearances across competitions, the Brazilian forward has scored 17 goals and 12 assists.
Vinicius and Real Madrid are bracing themselves for an exciting UEFA Champions League Round of 16 showdown against rivals Atletico Madrid. The first leg at the Santiago Bernabeu takes place on March 4.
🙌 IT'S MATCHDAY! 🙌
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) March 4, 2025
🆚 @AtletiEnglish
🕰 21:00 CET
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Apratim is an experienced sports journalist having covered European and World Football, Combat Sports, Olympic Sports, and more for online media publications like Sportskeeda, EssentiallySports, and more. He is currently an MSc. in Sport Marketing student at Loughborough University, London.