Yes, we heard! Rodri has officially won the 2024 Ballon d’Or. Against all the odds, the Manchester City midfielder managed to open his account at Thétre du Chtelet on Monday night. But the focus currently shifts to the losing party, Vinicius Jr., who despite strong backing from the start, didn’t get his hands on the trophy. In this hour of emotional support, Karim Benzema stepped up to console his former Real Madrid teammate.

The Al Ittihad star took to Instagram and shared an old picture of himself with the 24-year-old hugging on the pitch. Additionally, Benzema wrote a caption as well saying, “Trop Fort🥶🥶🥶…” which translates to “Too strong.” These words may be succinct and crisp but do signify the support of the Frenchman regarding Vinicius Jr’s defeat in winning the prestigious trophy.

Benzema, who himself lifted the award back in 2021, certainly would have wanted his ex-Madrid counterpart to lift the Golden Ball. Had Vini Jr won the award, he would have also become the first Brazilian to lift the award after 17 years, when Kaka did so back in 2007. Sadly, that wasn’t the case on Monday night as we saw Rodri picking up the trophy.

On the bright side, not only Benzema’s former team won the Best Club of the Year award, but his ex-manager Carlo Ancelotti also received the Ment’s Johan Cruyff Trophy as Best Coach of the Year. Speaking of others in the team, Ukrainian goalkeeper Andriy Lunin made a top 3 finish for the Yashin Trophy, while youngster Arda Guler was the runner-up for the Copa Trophy for best young player, just behind Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal.

Remarkably, Toni Kroos, who retired earlier this season, secured a spot in the Ballon d’Or top 10, finishing in 9th place. Similarly, La Liga’s MVP from last season, Jude Bellingham, claimed third, while Dani Carvajal came in fourth after his UEFA Euro victory. Though Kylian Mbappe finished sixth, he shared the 2024 Gerd Muller Trophy with Harry Kane for top goal-scorer honors, thanks to his performances with Paris Saint-Germain and the French national team. As for the other Real Madrid stars, Federico Valverde placed 17th, and Antonio Rudiger took 22nd.

It’s certainly quite a bummer that either of the Real Madrid players who were nominated were able to win the Ballon d’Or. However, aside from Benzema, other from Madrid also came in support of Vinicius.

Real Madrid locker room showers Vinicius Jr with support after Ballon d’Or snub

Toni Kroos took to Instagram, posting two photos with Vinicius Jr. along with a brief caption reading, “The best.” The post quickly drew a response from Vinicius Jr, who commented, “Te quiero, Antonio!!” which translates to “I love you, Antonio.”

Carlo Ancelotti followed with a gesture of his own, addressing the topic after receiving his award by saying, “I want to thank my Family, my President, my Club, my Players and above all Vini and Carvajal.” Meanwhile, Vini’s both domestic and national team partner Rodrygo Goes posted a hugging picture with the caption, “And so our world goes on… we go on, @vinijr. I love you.”

Next up was midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni, who shared a picture with the 24-year-old Brazilian on Instagram stories with a caption saying, “They are not ready my brother. Love 👑🤍 #10x.” Additionally, Eduardo Camavinga specifically posted a picture with the caption, “You don’t need that. Best player in the world.”

Furthermore, Arda Guller gave his own heartfelt response to Vinicius Junior by just posting a picture hugging the former Flamengo star. The remaining in the locker room must have also consoled the Brazilian star, showcasing the unity among Real Madrid.