Brazilian Outcry Follows Vinicius Jr’s Ballon d’Or Omission

Vinicius Jr recorded 24 goals across 39 matches in all competitions for Real Madrid during the previous season. Brazilian journalists and political figures have voiced criticism regarding Rodri’s selection as the Ballon d’Or recipient over Vinicius Junior. The 24-year-old Brazil forward, Vinicius, led Real Madrid in scoring last season, a period when the Spanish club secured victories in both the Champions League and La Liga. Rodri, a midfielder for Manchester City and Spain, contributed to his national team’s Euro 2024 triumph in July and also achieved success with City, winning the Premier League, Uefa Super Cup, and Club World Cup. The award was presented to Rodri in Paris on Monday; Vinicius and representatives from his club were not present at the event. News commentators in Brazil characterized the outcome as an unfair and punitive action, with certain individuals asserting it represented the most contentious decision in the award’s history. Numerous individuals suggested that the Real Madrid player was overlooked for the award due to his public position against the racism he encounters in Spain. Guga Chacra, a commentator for Globo News, a prominent Brazilian TV news network, stated: “We know that Vinicius is a target of racism in Spanish football and other parts of Europe, and he actively fights against racism.” He added: “This leads us to question whether the result that gave Rodri the win was influenced by prejudice and racism against Vinicius.” Gustavo Faldon, the sports editor for the Brazilian daily newspaper Estadao, remarked: “The [treatment of] Vincius was the biggest injustice in the history of Ballon d’Or.” He further commented: “The fact that he is Brazilian, plays for Real Madrid, and is a forward should have worked in his favour in the history of the award.” Rodrigo Bueno, a sports commentator for ESPN Brasil, also stated: “It sounds like an injustice to me.” Milly Lacombe, a sports commentator for the Brazilian news website UOL, expressed that the Ballon d’Or “missed the opportunity to pay a heartfelt tribute to the most talked-about player of the season – known for his dribbling, goals, ability to make decisive plays, and social activism”. France Football organizes the awards, which are determined by votes cast by a panel of journalists representing the top 100 Fifa-ranked nations. From a list of 30 nominees, each journalist chooses 10 players, ranking them from tenth to first place. Galvao Bueno, a prominent Brazilian sports commentator, published a video on his YouTube channel, which has over a million followers, to criticize the selection process. He stated: “It’s not just a matter of football, of who plays better; this award has a European bias.” Bueno further suggested that Vinicius’s failure to win was due to his advocacy against racism, asserting that his narrative “causes discomfort”. Vincent Garcia, editor-in-chief of France Football, informed the French newspaper L’Equipe: “It was a close victory, it wasn’t decided by much.” He continued: “Vinicius probably suffered from the presence of Bellingham and Carvajal in the top five because, mathematically, it took away a few points.” Garcia also explained: “It also sums up Real’s season which was carried by three or four players and the judges shared their choices between them, which benefited Rodri.” Nevertheless, commentators largely disputed the notion that Rodri, the winner, had outperformed Vinicius during the current year. Douglas Ceconello, a journalist for Globo Esporte, a Brazilian sports website, wrote: “The fact that Vini Jr wasn’t awarded the title of best player in the world at the Ballon d’Or is yet another way to try to penalise the Brazilian for his outspoken stance on racial issues, both on and off the field.” After the announcement of the Ballon d’Or results, Vinicius shared a message on X, stating: “I will do it 10 times if I have to. They are not ready.” The post garnered more than 100,000 comments, with numerous Brazilians expressing their backing. Anielle Franco, Brazil’s minister of racial equality, responded to the message, saying: “You are amazing, Vini! Racism will never stop us. Let’s keep making history.” In a related comment, Guardiola stated: “If Real Madrid don’t want to go to Ballon d’Or, it’s fine.”