Vinicius Junior Reveals Real Madrid Told Him Not to Attend Ballon d’Or Ceremony

Real Madrid winger Vinicius Junior has revealed that the club instructed him not to attend last year’s Ballon d’Or awards ceremony, despite being considered a strong contender for the prestigious honour.

The Brazilian forward was widely tipped to be in the running for the award, with many expecting him to narrowly beat Manchester City’s Rodri. However, on the day of the ceremony, Real Madrid decided to pull back their plans after a leak suggested that Rodri would be crowned the best footballer in the world.

In a further twist, even Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti, who was honored as Manager of the Year, chose not to attend the event.

Vinicius addressed the situation during a press conference, saying, “I didn’t feel betrayed [by not winning]. There are people who vote for what they believe. I have my thoughts, my teammates 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.”

When asked about the club’s decision to keep him in Madrid instead of attending the ceremony, Vinicius responded, “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.”