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Ballon d’Or chief explains to Real Madrid why Vinicius Jr didn’t win as star misses out on whopping bonus from club
Vinicius Jr's team-mates could have cost him the top prize
BALLON D'OR chief Vincent Garcia has explained why Vinicius Jr missed out on the award.
The Real Madrid star finished as the runner-up to Manchester City midfielder Rodri in the running.
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Los Blancos were left fuming with the Brazilian's snub and released a blunt 52-word statement in response.
The LaLiga giants claimed that the organisation and Uefa "do not respect" the club.
The club also refused to attend the event in Paris due to their anger over the result.
However, Garcia has now explained one reason why Vinicius Jr may have missed out on the top price.
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He believes the success of Real's Jude Bellingham and Dani Carvajal may have cost the Brazilian.
His argument is that the votes that the 2nd and 4th placed stars would have received votes instead of Vinicius Jr.
He said: "Obviously, Vinicius surely suffered from the presence of Bellingham and Carvajal in the top five because, mathematically, that took away some points from him.
"This also sums up Real Madrid's season, which took between three and four players, and the judges shared their decisions with them, which benefited Rodri."
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The split of votes for Real players allowed for more room for Rodri to be named the winner.
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Garcia added: "We were very clear with them [Real Madrid] and with all the other clubs.
"This year, the winner and the prizewinner were not going to be notified.
Emi Martinez and his stunning Wag are booed mercilessly at Ballon d'Or ceremony by France fans
Ballon d'Or 2024 results
- 1: Rodri, Man City and Spain
- 2: Vinicius Jr, Real Madrid and Brazil
- 3: Jude Bellingham, Real Madrid and England
- 4: Dani Carvajal, Real Madrid and Spain
- 5: Erling Haaland, Man City and Norway
- 6: Kylian Mbappe, Real Madrid and France
- 7: Lautaro Martinz, Inter Milan and Argentina
- 8: Lamine Yamal, Barcelona and Spain
- 9: Toni Kroos, Real Madrid and Germany
- 10: Harry Kane, Bayern Munich and England
- 11: Phil Foden, Man City and England
- 12: Florian Wirtz, Bayer Leverkusen and Germany
- 13: Dani Olmo, Barcelona and Spain
- 14: Ademola Lookman, Atalanta and Nigeria
- 15: Nico Williams, Athletic Bilbao and Spain
- 16: Granit Xhaka, Bayer Leverkusen and Switzerland
- 17: Federico Valverde, Real Madrid and Uruguay
- 18: Emi Martinez, Aston Villa and Argentina
- 19: Martin Odegaard, Arsenal and Norway
- 20: Hakan Calhanoglu, Inter Milan and Turkey
- 21: Bukayo Saka, Arsenal and England
- 22: Antonio Rudiger, Real Madrid and Germany
- 23: Ruben Dias, Man City and Portugal
- 24: William Saliba, Arsenal and France
- 25: Cole Palmer, Chelsea and England
- 26: Declan Rice, Arsenal and England
- 27: Vitinha, PSG and Portugal
- 28: Alejandro Grimaldo, Bayer Leverkusen and Spain
- 29: Mats Hummels, Roma and Germany
- 30: Artem Dovbyk, Roma and Ukraine
"I thought that everyone had accepted but at the last minute, I don't know why, they wanted to change the rule.
"When Real Madrid made its decision, I'm not sure that there wasn't some disappointment."
As a result of Rodri winning the Ballon d'Or, Vinicius Jr missed out on a cash reward from Real.
The winger would have been handed a bonus of £833,000 from his club if he had won the award.
Vinicius Jr would have also been the first Brazilian to lay his hands on the individual trophy since 2007, when Kaka won it.
He has spoken out since the snub and claimed that he will be a winner in the future.
He wrote on X: "'I'll do it 10x if I have to. They're not ready."
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Due to Real's boycott of the event it left one award uncollected.
Last season's Champions League winners were not able to collect their Club of the Year award.
All winners of the Ballon d'Or this century
- 2024: Rodri, Man City and Spain
- 2023: Lionel Messi, Inter Miami and Argentina
- 2022: Karim Benzema, Real Madrid and France
- 2021: Lionel Messi, PSG and Argentina
- 2020: Not Awarded
- 2019: Lionel Messi, Barcelona and Argentina
- 2018: Luka Modric, Real Madrid and Croatia
- 2017: Cristiano Ronaldo, Real Madrid and Portugal
- 2016: Cristiano Ronaldo, Real Madrid and Portugal
- 2015: Lionel Messi, Barcelona and Argentina
- 2014: Cristiano Ronaldo, Real Madrid and Portugal
- 2013: Cristiano Ronaldo, Real Madrid and Portugal
- 2012: Lionel Messi, Barcelona and Argentina
- 2011: Lionel Messi, Barcelona and Argentina
- 2010: Lionel Messi, Barcelona and Argentina
- 2009: Lionel Messi, Barcelona and Argentina
- 2008: Cristiano Ronaldo, Man Utd and Portugal
- 2007: Kaka, AC Milan and Brazil
- 2006: Fabio Cannavaro, Real Madrid and Italy
- 2005: Ronaldinho, Barcelona and Brazil
- 2004: Andriy Shevchenko, AC Milan and Ukraine
- 2003: Pavel Nedved, Juventus and Czechia
- 2002: Ronaldo Nazario, Real Madrid and Brazil
- 2001: Michael Owen, Liverpool and England
- 2000: Luis Figo, Real Madrid and Portugal
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