The organisers of the Ballon d'Or have responded to the controversy surrounding the absence of Vinicius Jr. and his Real Madrid teammates from Monday's ceremony. Despite being a favorite for football's top honor, the Brazilian forward finished behind Manchester City's Rodri.
Reports surfaced earlier in the day indicating that Vinicius would not be receiving the prestigious award, leading Real Madrid to withdraw from the event. Vincent Garcia, editor-in-chief of France Football, which oversees the award, commented on Vinicius's absence, stating, "Vinicius surely suffered from the presence of Bellingham and Carvajal in the top 5 because, mathematically, that took away some points from him."
Garcia noted that this situation reflected Real Madrid's season, where multiple players split the votes among themselves, ultimately benefiting Rodri. He mentioned feeling pressure from Real Madrid but maintained that he acted fairly in his decisions, saying, "I was very unpleasantly surprised by his absence."
Reports indicate that Real Madrid president Florentino Perez was furious about the outcome, with journalist Jose Luis Sanchez revealing that a 50-member delegation was planned to attend but was canceled upon learning that Vinicius would not win.
Club sources told ESPN Brazil that the snub was considered a "historic robbery," and Marca reported that Madrid insiders declared, "the Ballon d'Or no longer exists for us."
In a statement to AFP, Real Madrid asserted, "If the award criteria don't give it to Vinicius as the winner, those same criteria should point to Carvajal as the winner. 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.