Vinicius Jr Fans Call Rodri's Ballon d'Or Win 'The Biggest Robbery in Football History'

Vinicius Jr's Disappointment

Real Madrid fans are expressing their outrage following Vinicius Junior's second-place finish for the Ballon d'Or, which was awarded to Manchester City's Rodri. Many supporters believed Vinicius was the clear favorite for the honor, thanks to his pivotal role in helping Madrid clinch both the Champions League and La Liga titles last season.

Fans React to the Decision

The backlash against Rodri's win has been swift on social media. One fan posted on X, "Rodri winning this Ballon d'Or is the biggest robbery in football history. He wasn’t the best Premier League player. He wasn’t the best UCL player. He wasn’t even the best Euro player. Vini has been completely ROBBED." Another supporter chimed in, stating, "Nothing to take away from Rodri, but Vinicius is the real winner and the entire world knows that!"

Criticism continued, with comments such as, "They robbed Vinicius. It's the biggest scandal ever in football. What a shame and disgrace," and, "Disgraceful decision, but this is an award ceremony that has become a joke. Vinicius all the way for me personally. He has been robbed." Fans further declared the decision as "the biggest robbery in broad daylight," reiterating that Vinicius "1000% deserved that award."

One particularly furious fan wrote, "In these idiotic awards, we realize that the world is a great injustice. Vini Jr is THE BEST and nothing more."

Reactions from Other Players

Rafael Leao of AC Milan also expressed his disbelief at the outcome by sharing Vinicius' post and adding an emoji that covered its eyes, underscoring his shock at the decision.

The Bigger Picture

The decision not to award Vinicius the Ballon d'Or has stirred anger within the Real Madrid camp. Alongside Vinicius, several of his teammates, including Jude Bellingham, Dani Carvajal, Kylian Mbappe, Toni Kroos, Federico Valverde, and Antonio Rudiger, were nominated for various awards. However, in protest of Rodri's win, the entire Real Madrid team chose to boycott the ceremony, including head coach Carlo Ancelotti, who was nominated for best men's coach.

What's Next for Vinicius?

As the dust settles on this controversial award ceremony, Vinicius Jr aims to channel his disappointment into a strong performance in the coming season. Currently, his team sits six points behind Barcelona in La Liga after a disappointing 4-0 defeat to their rivals. Real Madrid will look to bounce back when they face Valencia this week, and Vinicius is determined to ensure that he is in contention for next year’s Ballon d'Or.