Real Madrid were named to the category but were absent from Monday’s Ballon d’Or ritual in Paris, where striker Vinicius Teen was trounced for the best men’s player award by Manchester Town’s Rodri.
The EU champions said their representatives would not move “where it is not respected” and that studying Vinicius would not account for the trophy held, AFP and Spanish media reported.
Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti and forward Kylian Mbappé took individual honours, but neither of them were able to receive their award.
Spanish World Cup winner Rodri, 28, won the men’s Ballon d’Or ahead of Vinicius and his Real Madrid teammate, Jude Bellingham.
Brazilian World Cup Vinicius, 24, used to be Real Madrid’s top scorer at the end of the season when the Spanish giants won the Champions League and L. a. League.
Rodri was then shown as the winner, Vinicius posted on X: “I will do it 10 times if necessary. They are not ready.”
La Real reportedly believed Vinicius’ teammate Dani Carvajal had also missed out on the top prize.
“If the award criteria do not indicate Vinicius as the winner, then those same criteria should indicate Carvajal as the winner,” the club stated in a comment to AFP and Spanish media.
“Since it was not like that, it is clear that the UEFA Ballon d’Or does not respect Real Madrid. And Real Madrid does not go where it is not respected.”
However, before the ceremony the organizers mentioned that “no player or club knows who has won the Ballon d’Or.”
BBC Game has contacted Real Madrid for comment.
The awards, organized by France Soccer, are awarded according to the vote of a panel of journalists from the 100 countries classified by FIFA.
In previous editions, the winner was visible a few days before the rite, but the organizers chose to reserve the winner’s identification for an invisible life.
Mbappé shared the Gerd Muller trophy, awarded to Europe’s best male goalscorer, with England and Bayern Munich forward Harry Kane was the next player to finish the season with 44 goals.
Former Chelsea striker Didier Drogba, introducing Monday’s ceremony, said he was “disappointed” not to see his former coach Ancelotti after winning the Johan Cruyff Trophy for life educator.
Ancelotti published in X: “I want to thank my family, my president, my club, my players and above all Vini and Carvajal.”
Spanish newspaper Marca reported that Actual had planned to send a fifty-person delegation and banned plans to broadcast a five-hour program on RMTV.
