After Rodri was announced the winner in 2024, the reaction from the football community was highly mixed. Many were celebrating Rodri for his steady performances for his club and country, but some soccer fans criticized it saying Vinicius deserved it more than him. Gary Neville, former Manchester United defender and current football analyst, had strong words regarding the backlash against Rodri’s win, particularly calling out Vinicius Jr. for his behavior.

Rodri’s season was nothing short of remarkable. He helped Manchester City win the league in the Premier League. He succeeded at the international level for his plays with Spain and winning the Euro. For Neville, the success for club and country meant that Rodri was a worthy winner of the Ballon d’Or, and he rejoiced that it finally had gone to a player whom he described as “immense” and hardworking.

However, Neville couldn’t ignore what he described as the “outrageous” reactions from certain quarters, especially Vinicius Jr. “Vinicius is a special talent. He’s amazing. He’s going to win it one day, I’m sure. But…to try and take the glory away and pull the spotlight…is classless.”

Rebecca Lowe, another football analyst who discussed the situation with Neville, was equally critical of Vinicius. As per her words, the 24-year-old went beyond expectations by booking venues for celebrations before securing the victory. “Vinicius Junior flew over a bunch of his family from Brazil. Super arrogant. Set up two parties, one in Paris after the event, booked a place, organized it, one in Madrid for when he returned home as the number one. I mean, the arrogance is off the scale,” Lowe denounced.

On the other hand, Rodri dedicated his win to Spanish greats who never won the Ballon d’Or. Meanwhile, the Best Men’s Coach of the Year, Real Madrid’s Carlo Ancelotti spoke to the press first time after the whole Ballon d’Or fiasco. 

Carlo Ancelotti opens up about Vinicius Junior’s Ballon d’Or snub

Ancelotti met up with Vinicius to discuss the latter’s psychological state by pointing out that the depression in the team was not because they failed to win the Ballon d’Or but because of what recently occurred in Spain. The DANA storm unleashed devastating floods over the Valencia region last week, claiming more than 200 lives, and the toll is still rising. The impact of the disaster led to the postponement of Real Madrid’s La Liga clash with Valencia, as well as Villarreal’s match against Rayo Vallecano.

Ancelotti addressed the devastating floods in a pre-match press conference as well. He was asked whether Vini was sad after the Ballon d’Or snub, and he gave a heartwarming reply- “Yes, the sadness is not due to the Ballon d’Or, but for what is happening here in Spain.” He also admitted that Vinícius still trained with concentration and resiliency although he is heartbroken.

Interestingly, Ancelotti was named Men’s Coach of the Year but refused to attend the ceremony in Paris. His silent defiance was similar to his team’s. Real Madrid was not shifted by the personal award as they kept their focus on the challenges at hand.

Real Madrid will now focus on their upcoming Champions League matches. As much weight as recent events weigh heavily on their shoulders, Los Blancos and Vinícius Jr. seem to be looking ahead beyond the Ballon d’Or saga and finding a way to channel it all into their European campaign.