French media comes down hard on Real Madrid for Ballon d’Or debacle – ‘They should not attend’ | OneFootball

The Ballon d’Or ceremony is getting closer, and once again, Real Madrid are caught in the middle of the debate.

Notably, Los Blancos have three big names among the nominees – Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr. and Jude Bellingham – this year.

Yet, the talk around Spain and France is not about who might win, but whether Real Madrid should even show up at the gala.

French newspaper L’Equipe, as relayed by Mundo Deportivo, made its opinion clear in a recent editorial, stating that “Real Madrid should not attend the Ballon d’Or gala.”

The tone sounded more like a warning than a suggestion, and it reflects how fragile the relationship between the award organisers and Real Madrid has become.

What’s the story?

The friction stems from last year, when Real Madrid shocked the football world by pulling out of the event at the last moment.

The club had prepared to attend, only to learn hours before the gala that Vinicius would not be named the winner. Instead, Manchester City’s Rodri took the award.

Real Madrid are unlikely to attend the Ballon d’Or ceremony this yearFrench media comes down hard on Real Madrid for Ballon d’Or debacle. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)

The decision was seen as a snub to Madrid, and the club made their anger clear by boycotting the entire ceremony.

That move has not been forgotten in France, and memories of it still fuel the tension today.

Real Madrid unlikely to attend

From Real Madrid’s point of view, the situation is straightforward. The club has little desire to appear at a ceremony where one of their players is not the clear favourite to win.

In fact, this year it seems almost certain that the award will go to either Ousmane Dembele or Lamine Yamal.

That makes it easier for Madrid to maintain their stance and avoid the gala without creating too much noise.

The real test, however, will come in a year when one of their own – whether it is Mbappe, Bellingham or Vinicius – is the frontrunner.

If that happens, the tension between the club and the Ballon d’Or organisers could explode once again.