“Revealed: Real Madrid’s Surprising Ballon d’Or Favorite Over Vinicius Jr — It’s Not Rodri!”

“Real Madrid Insider Unveils Shocking Ballon d’Or Pick Over Vinicius Jr — and It’s Not Rodri!”

The winner of the 2024 Ballon d’Or will be announced on Monday night.

A source from Real Madrid has reportedly disclosed which player the club believed could surpass Vinicius Junior for the prestigious award.

The announcement will take place at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris, France.

Leading up to the event, Vinicius, Kylian Mbappe, Rodri, and Jude Bellingham were all considered strong contenders for the coveted title.

Despite expectations that Vinicius would secure the award after a remarkable 2023/24 season, it was reported on Monday afternoon that he would not win, prompting Madrid to boycott the ceremony.

Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano noted on social media: “No representatives from Real Madrid are expected to travel to Paris tonight. This decision was made after Vinicius Jr learned he would not win the Ballon d’Or.”

Additionally, RMC Sport reported that Madrid felt if Vinicius was not going to win, the award should go to Dani Carvajal, who was part of the Euro 2024-winning Spain team.

Centre Goals tweeted: “Real Madrid believes that if the Ballon d’Or criteria don’t favor Vinicius, Dani Carvajal should have been the recipient.”

Following the news of Vinicius’ Ballon d’Or miss, speculation quickly arose that Manchester City and Spain midfielder Rodri could be the winner.

Rodri played a crucial role in Manchester City’s Premier League title win last season and was a key player in Spain’s Euro 2024 triumph, where they defeated England 2-1 in the final.

Previously, Rodri remarked, “A Spaniard deserves to win. Spanish football deserves a Ballon d’Or winner. Spain deserves a Ballon d’Or.”