Real Madrid forward and Brazilian international Vinicius Junior is reportedly poised to miss the opportunity to claim the 2024 Ballon d’Or, according to renowned football journalist Fabrizio Romano.
Romano stated in a tweet posted on Monday that the pacey winger “will not” travel to Paris, France, to attend the award ceremony scheduled for Monday night.
Romano also revealed that neither fellow clubmate Jude Bellingham, nor club president Florentino Pérez, coach Carlo Ancelotti, or other players would grace the occasion.
The tweet read, “Vinicius Jr will not travel to Paris as Real Madrid know he will not win the Ballon d’Or. No one from Real Madrid will attend the ceremony. No Florentino Pérez, no Vini Jr, no Carlo Ancelotti, no Jude Bellingham.”
However, reports across several media outlets hint that the most coveted individual football award may be given to Manchester City midfield maestro Rodrigo Cascante, aka Rodri.
The 28-year-old Spaniard, who is currently out for the season after suffering a cruciate ligament injury in late September, has displayed a significant level of improvement and command in the central park since joining City from Atletico Madrid in 2019.
Rodri scored the lone goal in the club’s 2023 final match against Inter Milan at the Ataturk Olimpiyat Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey—the club’s first Champions League trophy win in history.
He was also a key part of the Manchester City side that won the EPL four consecutive times and the Euro 2024-winning team for Spain.
Should Rodri win the Ballon d’Or, he would become the second winner of the award from the English Premier League after Portuguese legend Cristiano Ronaldo, who won the award in 2008.
However, Vinicius has been tipped as the favourite to win the Ballon d’Or.
The Brazilian ace scored the lone goal in their clash against Liverpool in the 2022 Champions League final. He also won the trophy in 2024 after the club secured a 2-0 win over Borussia Dortmund at Wembley Stadium in England, scoring the second goal in the match.
Vinicius scored a total of 24 goals in the 2024 season, helping Madrid win three trophies, including La Liga, the Champions League, and the UEFA Super Cup.
Other nominees for the 2024 Ballon d’Or award include Bellingham, Cole Palmer, Erling Haaland, Ademola Lookman, among others.
