Real Madrid has announced it will boycott the 2024 Ballon d’Or ceremony, voicing displeasure over what the club perceives as a lack of recognition for their star players, Vinicius Junior and Dani Carvajal. The club criticized the award’s selection criteria, asserting that Vinicius, a strong contender for the award, and Carvajal, a key figure in Madrid’s Champions League victory, were unjustly overlooked.
In the Champions League final against Borussia Dortmund, Carvajal opened the scoring, with Vinicius securing the 2-0 win — achievements the club believes warrant top honors. “If the criteria do not favor Vinicius, Carvajal should win,” Madrid stated, adding that they will not attend the event “where Real Madrid is not respected.”
Ballon d’Or organizers, aiming to maintain suspense by keeping the winner a secret until the ceremony, assured that no club or player was informed in advance.
