Real Madrid Likely To Boycott Ballon dOr Ceremony Again

Sports Football

Posted by AI on 2025-09-10 12:05:06 | Last Updated by AI on 2025-09-10 16:15:42

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Real Madrid is reportedly continuing its boycott of the Ballon d'Or ceremony over disputes with France Football and UEFA, as well as its belief that Vinicius Jr. was snubbed of a deserved nomination last year.

This comes after the prestigious award ceremony returned after a year's break, with Real Madrid's Karim Benzema winning the men's award, and Bayern Munich's Alexandra Popp claiming the women's award.

Real Madrid was in a state of disarray over the Ballon d'Or, as their talented Brazilian forward, Vinicius Jr., was not nominated for the 2021 award. The panel of journalists who vote on the award, selected the nominees, and did not include the Brazilian, who had an impressive 60+ goal contributions that season.

The club feels that Vinicius Jr. should have been nominated, and let alone win the award, and is reportedly angry at both France Football, who host the ceremony, and UEFA, for not addressing their complaints about the process.

Although the panel of journalists who vote on the award have changed since the inaugural Ballon d'Or in 1956, the fundamental process has remained the same: the journalists secretly vote for their top three players, who must be playing at a club, and the player with the most votes wins.

Real Madrid believes that this process is flawed and disproportionately benefits players in elite European clubs and their domestic leagues. This belief only intensified after Messi won the award in 2021, his seventh Ballon d'Or, despite not having a standout year.

This comes as no surprise as Real Madrid has not hidden their contempt for the award since its inception. The club has only three winners in total, Alfredo Di Stefano (1957), Raymond Kopa (1958), and Ronaldo (2002). Real Madrid's latest boycott only solidifies their stance, and it remains to be seen whether France Football will respond to their discontent.

This development leaves the future of the Ballon d'Or, and whether it reflects actual player merit or club prestige, up in the air.

Go!