The Ballon d’Or ceremony saw Manchester City midfielder Rodri crowned the men’s winner, after an exceptional season with his club and the Spanish national team. Vinícius Jr. finished second, followed by his Real Madrid teammates Jude Bellingham in third and Dani Carvajal in fourth.

Real Madrid's stance was unambiguous. A source from the club told reporters that “if the award criteria do not proclaim Vinícius Jr. the winner, those same criteria should proclaim Carvajal the winner,” suggesting a perceived inconsistency in how the results were determined. The club, in turn, declared it would not attend “where it is not respected.”

Aitana Bonmatí of Barcelona Femení and Spain secured her second consecutive Ballon d’Or Féminin for best women’s player. The Ballon d’Or awards are decided by journalists from the top 100 ranked countries, based on FIFA’s rankings, and the top 50 for the women’s category.

Former Real Madrid and AC Milan player Clarence Seedorf, who attended the ceremony, voiced his surprise at Vinícius’ loss, hinting at potential tensions between UEFA and the Spanish club. “It seems like there’s something going on between Real Madrid and UEFA that hasn’t been resolved,” Seedorf commented to TNT Sports Brasil. “These matters should be separate from the award itself, especially for a player in such exceptional form.”

Rodri, who had a stellar 2024 season, was pivotal to Manchester City’s record-breaking fourth consecutive Premier League title and Spain’s Euro 2024 triumph. However, many fans anticipated Vinícius Jr. would claim the honor, especially after his remarkable performances helped Real Madrid secure a record 15th Champions League title and another La Liga title.

Chants of “Vini” could be heard from the crowd as the ceremony progressed, and Vinícius responded on social media, hinting at a comeback with the post, “I’ll do it 10 times if necessary. They are not ready.” The following day, he shared a team photo captioned, “TOGETHER.”

Support poured in from Real Madrid’s players, with Eduardo Camavinga posting, “FOOTBALL POLITICS. My brother, you are the best player in the world, and no award can say otherwise.” Teammate Aurélien Tchouaméni added, “Nothing will take away what you’ve achieved my brother. We ALL know…”

Monday’s ceremony also recognized Carlo Ancelotti as the men’s Coach of the Year, with Kylian Mbappé celebrated as the joint top scorer alongside Harry Kane. However, neither Ancelotti nor Mbappé attended. Real Madrid was also named men’s Club of the Year, but this accolade wasn’t enough to prompt a club representative to attend.

Spain’s national coach, Luis de la Fuente, expressed disappointment over the absence of such a significant club, saying, “It’s not good for football when a club as important as Madrid and with so many fans worldwide is not present at such a gala.”

Club legend Luís Figo, a Ballon d’Or winner in 2000, shared his surprise as well, noting, “I had spoken to someone from Real Madrid who said they were going to come, and then suddenly, they’re not here.”

Meanwhile, Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola remarked neutrally on the matter, stating, “If they want to go, it’s fine. If they don’t, it’s fine as well.”
Real Madrid boycotts the 2024 Ballon d’Or ceremony, citing disrespect after Vinícius Jr. missed out on the men’s award, awarded instead to Manchester City's Rodri. Madrid insists the outcome undermined its players' accomplishments, sparking new debate around soccer’s most prestigious individual accolade.