How much bonus did Vinicius Jr miss out on after losing Ballon d'Or 2024 award?
(Courtesy : Getty)
Rodri won the men’s Ballon d’Or 2024 award
It was a bitter ending for Vinicius Jr on Monday night in Paris during the 2024 Ballon d’Or ceremony as the Brazilian finished second on the podium with Rodri winning the award.
Not only did he miss out on the award he also failed to pocket a sizeable bonus from Real Madrid after coming second. Before the ceremony, the speculations confirmed that Vinicius would not win the award, which led to the Spanish club boycotting the award.
However, the 24-year-old suffered the most losses had he won the award not only he would be seen as one of the best Brazilian players but would have also received a €1 million (£833,000) bonus and become the first Brazilian to win the award since Kaka in 2007.
The report reveals that Real Madrid added the clause in his last renewal deal, the same was with Karim Benzema who won the award in 2022 and currently remains the only Madrid player to win the Ballon d’Or.
It was one of the most surprising Ballon d’Or ceremonies given Vinicius was the hot favourite to take home the prize, but the eventual winner was Rodri. After the Spanish midfielder collected the prize, Vinicius broke his silence on X and tweeted: I’ll do it 10x if I have to. They’re not ready,’ he posted on X, hinting at future successes.
‘If the criteria of the award do not proclaim Vinicius the winner, those same criteria must proclaim Carvajal the winner,’ a statement from Madrid ahead of the ceremony.
‘Since this has not been the case, it is obvious that the Ballon d’Or and UEFA do not respect Real Madrid. And Real Madrid is not where it is not respected.’
Many were not convinced of Rodri winning the Ballon d’Or from fans to a few pundits, all were in favour of the Brazilian lifting the coveted prize.
Clarence Seedorf came up with his own theory as to why Vinicius Jr was overlooked.
”I already voted almost a year ago and I think Vinicius deserved this award,” Seedorf told TNT Sports Brasil. It seems that there is something between Real Madrid and UEFA that seems to be unresolved.’
He added: ‘The problems between Real Madrid and UEFA should be kept outside of these matters. It’s a shame.’
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After earning a bachelor's degree in mass media, Rajarshi began his career as a sports writer in 2019, driven by his passion for sports journalism. He has been working in the field for over six years. A devoted fan of Lionel Messi and Barcelona, Rajarshi has been involved in sports since childhood. Before turning his focus to journalism, he even represented his college at the state level. Along with covering football, he enjoys playing the game, watching movies, and experimenting with new recipes in his spare time, as cooking is one of his favorite hobbies.