Vinicius Junior misses out on Ballon d'Or top 10 | OneFootball

The Brazilian Vinicius Junior was not among the ten best players in the world this season competing for the Ballon d'Or award. The Real Madrid athlete ranked in 16th position, in a ranking compiled by the French magazine France Football.

In the 2024/2025 season, Vini scored 22 goals and provided 19 assists in 58 matches played. He was the champion of the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup.

Last season, the number 7 of the Spanish club finished as the runner-up in the award, behind midfielder Rodri from Manchester City. The Brazilian not winning the award was a shock to many within the football world, including Real Madrid itself, which boycotted that edition.

This year, the team from the Spanish capital, still protesting what happened in the last edition, was once again absent from the award ceremony.

Real Madrid vs. France Football Situation

This year, three players were nominated for the Ballon d'Or: Vinicius Junior (16th), Jude Bellingham (23rd), and Kylian Mbappé (not yet disclosed). Huijsen is competing for the Kopa Trophy, awarded to the best player up to 21 years old. Meanwhile, goalkeeper Courtois was nominated for the Yashin Trophy, given to the best goalkeeper in the world.

Only Carolina Weir, nominated for the Ballon d'Or in the women's category, will be present at the event. Linda Caicedo, who is competing for the Kopa Trophy, did not travel to Paris.

Since Vinicius Junior did not win the award last year, Real Madrid has avoided relations with UEFA, which participates in the Ballon d'Or award in conjunction with the French newspaper, and has strengthened ties with FIFA, which became even more evident during the Club World Cup in the USA.

Real Madrid believes there was great disrespect towards the club and Vinicius Junior when they awarded Rodri from Manchester City. However, in the 2024 FIFA The Best, an award organized by the main football entity, the Brazilian forward was elected the best player in the world, ahead of Rodri and Jude Bellingham.

Who is the favorite?

In theory, Dembélé stands out for his ability to fill the gap in PSG's attack left by the star Kylian Mbappé, now at Real Madrid. He scored 35 goals in all competitions. His contribution also helped the Parisian giant win Ligue 1 and reach the final of the Club World Cup.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.