Journalists of 4 countries accused of costing Vinicius Junior the Ballon d'Or

• Real Madrid bankroller Florentino Perez has labelled Vinicius Junior the 'best player in the world'
• The club president addressed an audience at Real Madrid's General Assembly on Sunday
• Perez commented on Vinicius Junior's recent Ballon d'Or snub, an award which was won by Rodri

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has expressed frustration over the voting process for the 2024 Ballon d’Or, accusing journalists from four countries of completely overlooking Vinicius Junior in their selections.

Perez claimed that journalists from Namibia, Uganda, Albania, and Finland did not give the Brazilian forward a single vote, which contributed to him finishing second behind Manchester City’s Rodri, who won the prestigious award.

Florentino Perez has broken his silence on Vinicius Junior's recent Ballon d'Or snub, an award which was won by Rodri. Photo: Franck Fife.
Source: UGC

Vinicius, who had an awesome 2023/24 season, was widely tipped to win the Ballon d'Or after scoring 24 goals and providing 11 assists, playing a key role in Real Madrid's Champions League victory and their record-extending 36th La Liga title.

Perez criticises journalists who didn't vote for Vini

However, despite these achievements, he was denied the honour by Rodri, who had a strong year with City, including winning the Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League.

At Real Madrid's General Assembly, Perez vented his displeasure, suggesting that if those four countries had voted differently, Vinicius would have emerged as the winner.

"If the journalists from Namibia, Uganda, Albania and Finland had not voted, Vinicius would be the Ballon d'Or [winner]. These countries did not give Vinicius a single vote. Not one! The Finn, at least, has resigned. And he has said that he will not be part of the jury again.

He further criticised the lack of oversight in the voting process, calling for more reputable and prestigious figures, such as coaches, to be involved in the Ballon d'Or voting.

“Look, I appreciate it. The Ballon d'Or must be organised independently and the votes for this award must be in the hands of people of recognised prestige, the coaches, so that everyone understands that their reputation is also at stake with their vote,” he continued.

Perez also mentioned that the Finnish journalist had resigned from the jury, acknowledging their mistake.

Despite the snub, Vinicius has bounced back this season, continuing his excellent form with 12 goals and 7 assists in just 17 appearances, keeping his chances alive for the 2025 Ballon d'Or.

Rodri offers Ballon d'Or advice to Vinicius

Legit.ng also reported that after narrowly beating the Brazilian to the 2024 Ballon d'Or Award.

The City midfielder suggested that Vinicius needs to improve a specific aspect of his game to increase his chances of winning the prestigious accolade in the future.

However, Rodri’s comments didn’t sit well with Neymar, who responded by criticising the Spaniard.

Source: YEN.com.gh