Vinicius Junior’s Shot at Glory Shattered by Brutal Ballon d’Or Snub

3 weeks ago 1

Vinicius Junior surprisingly lost the 2024 Ballon d'Or award to Manchester City midfielder Rodri on October 28
The decision has left a bitter taste in Brazilian football fans mouths, with his Real Madrid teammates making their feelings clear
TUKO.co.ke engaged a Brazilian journalist on how far the Vinicius has come in this tale of so close yet so far

It was a twist not many people expected. Up until the afternoon of the award ceremony, the general consensus among football fans was that Vinicius Junior would win his first Ballon d'Or award.

So confident was the Brazilian that he rubbed it on Gavi's face during the El Clasico on Saturday night. He had done almost everything right, and in his mind, October 28, 2024, had been set aside as the day the whole world would clap for him.

Vinicius Junior, Ballon d'Or 2024, Rodri, Real Madrid

Vinicius Junior's Journey to Real Madrid

It has been a long time coming for Vinicius. He is one of the many South American talents who took a leap of faith and moved to Europe to pursue their dreams. He arrived in Madrid in 2018 after a 12-year spell with Flamengo.

His football touches during his presentation didn't go according to plan, leaving some Los Blancos fans questioning why he was brought.

"He was practically a kid when he left Brazil, a teenager to be fair since Europe is now fishing players increasingly young here. Vitor Roque, Endrick, Estêvão and Vini himself," Globo journalist Camila Alves tells us.

Alves shares that Vinicius had to learn what he knew afresh, adapt to the new environment, and soak up the pressure of playing for such a huge club at a young age.

When Benzema slated Vinicius Junior

Karim Benzema, who would later become one of Vinicius' best strike partners, once asked if he was playing against them. His game then was characterized by a couple of goals and high-profile misses in equal measure.

The signing of Eden Hazard at Real Madrid

His path for development at Real Madrid appeared dimmed when the club brought in Eden Hazard in a £130m deal from Chelsea. Hazard had just left England after a glorious seven-year spell that made him the face of the league. Simply put, there was no way Vinicius would have had a look-in in the starting XI if Hazard brought the same form.

But somewhere along the way, Vinicius picked himself up and started consistently producing better returns. His ball control improved, his decisions became wiser, and all of a sudden, the vision Florentino Perez saw when he bought him started to come alive.

Hazard's injury a blessing in disguise

Hazard's constant fitness issues kept the Belgian out of the squad, further boosting Vinicius's situation. He (Vinicius) developed a rapport with Benzema that metamorphosed into the deadly attack that won the 2022 Champions League.

Vinicius Junior's battle for social equality

He was forced to relearn his trade while constantly fighting racist abuse on many grounds across Spain – something Camila doesn't think he gets enough credit for.

"He needed to work with some adjustments. Adapt to a new country, a new style of football and a huge club like Real, alongside the fight against racism. I believe he has grown into a great player and a human too, breaking historical barriers in Spain and being an example too."

Vinicius - the face of Real Madrid

So when Benzema left for Saudi, Vinicius became the undisputable face of the club. In his first full season as the leading man in attack, the 24-year-old led Carlo Ancelotti's side to record-extending La Liga and Champions League titles.

Admittedly, Jude Bellingham played a huge part, but Vinicius' eye for goal, quick burst of pace, twinkle toes, and unforgiving nature in front of goal in the Champions League knockouts made him stand out.

The feeling was he had done enough to win the Ballon d'Or but Camila was wary given recent happenings.

"Brazil tends to have double feelings about the Ballon d'Or because over the years, we had different cases of players people thought could win and they didn't, like Neymar and Vini Jr himself, last year. So sometimes the crowd can feel a bit frustrated by that."

Did Vinicius Junior deserve the 2024 Ballon d'Or?

Be that as it may, Camila and the rest of the country were hopeful of a first Ballon d'Or win since Kaka in 2007.

"I felt that Vini had good chances of winning this year. I know that obviously, there are many political matters behind it, but Vini had a shining season and directly influenced Real Madrid to win La Liga and the Champions League, scoring in the final. Even with the Euros and Copa América, I don't think that there should be anyone above him - in terms of importance for a team."

Rodri beats Vinicius Junior to win 2024 Ballon d'Or

The twist came when news broke out that Vinicius Jr and the whole Real Madrid entourage would not be attending the ceremony. He finished second to Rodri, with the Chief Editor of France Football, calling the race 'close'.

Listen, one can easily argue why Rodri deserved the award. However, from Vinicius' standpoint, this was his moment of reckoning. A moment of vindication of the racist insults he gets, the trolls he received at the start of his career and every bit of blood and sweat he put into the team last season.

His message after the announcement told of a man who is deeply hurt but ready to go again to prove himself to the naysayers another time.

The October 28, which he thought was set aside for him, turned out to be the worst of his career thus far.

And for Camila and the Samba nation, the wait, rather painfully, continues.