Real Madrid announced that it will boycott the 2024 Ballon d’Or ceremony, expressing its dissatisfaction with what the club considers a lack of appreciation for its stars Vinicius Junior and Dani Carvajal. The club criticized the criteria for selecting the award, stressing that Vinicius, a strong contender for the award, and Carvajal, who was a key figure in Real Madrid’s victory in the Champions League, were unfairly overlooked.
In the Champions League final against Borussia Dortmund, Carvajal opened the scoring, while Vinicius secured a 2-0 win, achievements the club believes deserve top honours. “If the criteria are not in Vinicius’ favour, Carvajal must win,” Real Madrid said, adding that they would not attend the event “as Real Madrid is not respected”.
Ballon d’Or organisers, who aim to maintain suspense by keeping the winner a secret until the ceremony, confirmed that no club or player had been informed in advance.