The controversy erupted today with the news that the Brazilian player would not be the winner of the Ballon d'Or this year, with users defending the Real Madrid player while Rodrigo Hernández from Manchester City turned out to be the winner. Year after year, France Football generates controversy with its decisions regarding the award, as both fans and renowned players like Cristiano Ronaldo question its credibility.
According to Cristiano Ronaldo, "The Ballon d'Or and The Best have LOST CREDIBILITY." For many, these awards have lost relevance and are considered manipulated, corrupt, and rigged. The criteria for selecting the winner include individual performances, team achievements, fair play, and a jury of prestigious journalists to select the nominees.
In previous years, the Ballon d'Or has been the subject of controversy, such as in 2010 when Lionel Messi won instead of Iniesta or Xavi, in 2019 when it was expected that Virgil Van Dijk would take the prize, or in 2014 when Neuer was close to winning it. Furthermore, the 2021 award was canceled due to the pandemic, and in 2022 Lionel Messi defeated Erling Haaland.
This year, the controversy revolves around the fact that Real Madrid did not send any representative to the award ceremony as an apparent gesture of support for Vinicius. The criteria for winning the individual award include, among others, individual performances, team achievements, and fair play, factors that can make a difference in selecting the winner.
