Vinicius Junior reacts to stunning Ballon d'Or snub | OneFootball

Real Madrid and Brazil star Vinicius Junior took to social media to respond to his stunning Ballon d'Or snub on Monday night.

The flying winger was widely expected to win the prize handed out by France Football after leading Los Blancos to a La Liga and Champions League double last season.

However, it quickly emerged that Vinicius would not be winning the gong before Manchester City's Rodri scooped the award later on Monday evening, with no Madrid stars in attendance as they protested the decision.

Vinicius did not appear to agree with the ruling, hinting he will now pull out all the stops to win the Ballon d'Or in the future.

He posted on X: "I'll do it 10x if I have to. They're not ready."

Madrid have a storied history with the Ballon d'Or, with a number of club legends winning it in the past. Icons like Alfredo Di Stefano, Raymond Kopa, Luis Figo and Ronaldo claimed the gold before Cristiano Ronaldo won it four times during their trophy-laden 2010s period.

Luka Modric was crowned the best player in the world in 2018 but Madrid have now not had a Ballon d'Or winner since 2022, when Karim Benzema was awarded the honour. Lionel Messi picked up the 2023 prize after leading Argentina to World Cup success, while Rodri was rewarded for his Premier League and Euro 2024 triumphs.

There was at least some success for Madrid stars on Monday night, even though they weren't in attendance. Kylian Mbappe shared the Gerd Muller Trophy alongside Bayern Munich and England striker Harry Kane, while Carlo Ancelotti was named men's Coach of the Year.

Madrid were also named the best men's team of 2024 but their collective absence made it an awkward setting in Paris, especially after their 4-0 defeat to Barcelona in El Clasico.