Against all odds, Vinícius Júnior is left without the Ballon d'Or. Neither the player nor his club had any doubts: The award was his.
Even Vinícius boasted about it to Gavi during the classic. He said that, despite the 4-0, he was going to take home the Ballon d'Or.
That wasn't to be the case, however. The 180 journalists from all five continents with the right to vote didn't consider him worthy of the award.
The journalists of L'Equipe and France Football chose the 30 finalists. There was already controversy over the exclusion of Rodrygo from the list of the 30 best footballers in the world.
The selection process takes into account merits acquired during the season, not during the calendar year.
What are the Criteria for Choosing the Ballon d'Or?
What is valued is the individual's status throughout the season: goals, matches, influence on the results, etc.
Then collective success, both in clubs and national teams, is taken into accound, as well as the player's influence on them.
The third aspect of the assessment is the image of the player, both on and off the field.
Why Won't they Give the Ballon d'Or to Vinícius?
1.- In the purely sporting environment, Vinícius has done more than enough to win the Ballon d'Or with Real Madrid. He's obtained La Liga, Champions League, Spanish and European Super Cups. He also had a significant influence on all of these successes.
2.- On a collective level, Vínicius has failed in his contribution to the Brazilian team in Copa América.
In a World Cup year, what's achieved during this tournament is very important. The same applies for the Euro Cup and Copa America years. That's where Vinícius failed.
3.-.The factor in which Vinícius failed to live up to expectations, both in the past and in the present, is in the image he projects to the world. His defeat is not the result of a pre-made setup.180 journalists from five continents who don't even know each other couldn't possibly plan an agreement.
However, it's not difficult to imagine that, outside of the Madrid environment, the image that Vinícius conveys is not good. It's an image that doesn't correspond to the fair play that should characterize the winner of the Ballon d'Or.
His Character has Taken Its Toll on Him
His constant taunts on rivals and opposing fans and his loud protests to referees have taken their toll.
Ancelotti talks about Flick's assistant's lack of self-control for celebrating a Barça goal near the Real Madrid bench. Has he ever said the same thing to Vinícius for doing the same thing constantly?
Vinícius is very popular among his own people, but he can't expect the whole world to like his way of acting on the field.
He has an opposite case right in front of him: Luka Modric, a player who inspires sympathy even among rival fans. But Vinícius has chosen the opposite path and now he pays for it.
He may speak of conspiracies against him. He may even take advantage of the opportunity to revive racism as the cause of the "unfair" decision regarding the Ballon d'Or.
Has the Ballon d'Or Ceased to Exist for Real Madrid?
Everything is simpler, though. Vinícius is unappealing and his skin color has nothing to do with it.
There are many black players in Spain, even at Real Madrid. No one is more unanimously against him than himself, and it's not because of the color of his skin.
Vinícius is a victim of his own actions, of the permissiveness he's found in his club to behave strangely on the field.
What a way to ruin such a talented footballer, as good as he is.
His problem is that if he doesn't see it, he doesn't have anyone nearby to guide him on the right path.
Laughing at his jokes only leads to this, to a huge disappointment after bragging to Gavi on Saturday about the Ballon d'Or.
And there's life beyond Real Madrid, even if it doesn't seem like it sometimes. "The Ballon d'Or has ceased to exist for us," says newspaper Marca, referring to Real Madrid. Well, very well, the ceremony will be held anyway without Real Madrid TV.
The Ballon d'Or can't be at odds with the world and that would've been the case.