Vinicius Junior, the presumptive favorite for the 2024 Ballon d’Or, will not win the award, according to transfer insider Fabrizio Romano.
The Brazilian, along with the rest of the Real Madrid delegation that was expected to attend Monday’s ceremony, has instead decided not to make the trip to Paris, Romano adds. None of Florentino Perez, Carlo Ancelotti, or Jude Bellingham will be in attendance, either.
Real Madrid believe that Manchester City midfielder Rodri, long viewed as Vinicius’ primary challenger for the sport’s top individual honor, will take home the accolade, sources told Gustavo Hofman and Rodrigo Faez of ESPN.
The Spaniard was seen in the French capital ahead of Monday’s festivities.
Eight Real Madrid players are nominated for various awards that are being handed out by France Football, together with UEFA, on Monday. Ancelotti, meanwhile, is in the running for the top men’s coaching honor.
Vinicius was considered the Ballon d’Or frontrunner after leading Real Madrid to a La Liga and Champions League double last season. He scored 21 goals across those two competitions, including tallies in both the semifinals and final of the Champions League.
The last Brazilian player to claim the men’s honor was Kaka in 2007.
Though he had a standout year at club level, the 24-year-old Vinicius struggled in his marquee international tournament of the year, with Brazil being eliminated in the quarterfinals of the Copa America.
Conversely, Rodri was named Player of the Tournament as Spain won Euro 2024, a triumph that came on the back of his starring role during Manchester City’s latest Premier League title-winning campaign.
