A former Real Madrid star has claimed Vinicius Junior may have failed to win the 2024 Ballon d'Or award due to "problems between Real Madrid and UEFA".
This year's edition of the Ballon d'Or awards was arguably the most controversial ceremony in recent memory as it sparked fierce debate across the world over as to who deserved to be named the men's winner.
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Just hours before the big occasion, Real decided to boycott the awards in Paris due to information they had received that seemingly confirmed that Vinicius would not win the Golden Ball.
The Spanish giants told AFP: "If the award criteria doesn't give it to Vinicius as the winner, then those same criteria should point to [Dani] Carvajal as the winner. As this was not the case, it is clear that Ballon d'Or-UEFA does not respect Real Madrid. And Real Madrid does not go where it is not respected."
Indeed, the Brazilian winger finished second in the voting behind eventual winner Rodri of Manchester City.
With some arguing that the Spaniard deserved the award after his brilliant performances last season, many others are equally convinced that Vinicius should have won the prize instead.
Former Real player Clarence Seedorf has since suggested that something bigger might be at play in this situation.
The Dutch legend told TNT Sports: "I think there are problems between Real Madrid and UEFA, which affected some things in the results.
"Vinicius Junior is the one who definitely deserves the award. It is a shame."
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Several Real stars have since shown public support for their teammate Vinicius, including Eduardo Camavinga, Aurelien Tchouameni, and Eder Militao.