Brazilian forward Vinicius Junior and other Real Madrid candidates will not attend the Ballon d'Or ceremony this Monday as they were not selected as winners of any award. The club delegation, made up of about 50 people including players and families, had scheduled to travel to Paris but canceled their plans upon learning that no team member would be awarded.
Vinicius, with 24 goals and 11 assists in 39 matches, was seen as one of the favorites to win the award, especially following his outstanding performances in the Champions League and the local league. However, the award seems to be leaning towards Spain's Rodri from Manchester City, according to Real Madrid. The club considers this decision a disrespect towards Vinicius and Dani Carvajal, which has motivated their absence from the gala.
Thus, the main candidate to win the Ballon d'Or is Rodrigo Hernández from Manchester City, whose name will be announced during the ceremony that will take place this Monday at 4 PM. Besides Vinicius and Carvajal, four other Real Madrid players were nominated for the award: Jude Bellingham, Fede Valverde, Antonio Rüdiger, and Toni Kroos.
Regarding the Kopa Trophy, which awards the best young player of last season, Real Madrid has Arda Güler as a representative, although Lamine Yamal is considered the favorite. Additionally, Andriy Lunin aims for recognition as the best goalkeeper and Carlo Ancelotti could be chosen as the best coach. The club is also competing for the award for "best men's club of the year."
Despite the multiple nominations, none of those mentioned will be present at the Ballon d'Or ceremony after it was confirmed that Vinicius will not be awarded this honor.
