In the competition for the 2024 Ballon d’Or, many believed Real Madrid youngster Vinicius Junior would win football’s most coveted individual award. However, voters ultimately chose Spanish midfielder Rodri as their champion.
The news leaked ahead of their ceremony, infuriating the Brazilian winger and his team, who cancelled the occasion in Paris. According to accounts, Vini Jr was so confident he would win the reward, he had already
He promised his teammates Rolex watches as a thank you for helping him win the honour. It was even stated that he rejoiced with friends and family on the Sunday evening before to the official announcement, believing the honour was his.
Instead, Rodri won the 2024 Ballon d’Or, as the midfielder was recognised for his pivotal role in Spain’s Euro victory that summer, as well as his incredible form with Manchester City, with the then-Premier League champions losing just once in 12 months when he started in midfield.
Vinicius Junior sent a bold message following Rodri’s Ballon d’Or.
Vinicius was visibly hurt by the decision, but he responded quickly with a social media post outlining his determination to prove his detractors wrong. Indeed, the Brazilian wrote ten simple words: “Eu farei 10x se preciso. “They are not prepared.”
Which, in English, means:
“I’ll do ten times what I have to. “They are not ready.”
After a year since that iconic post, it’s fair to say that the athlete has failed to meet the lofty standards he set for himself. This is evidenced by his 16th-place performance in the 2025 Ballon d’Or rankings, which makes his message somewhat embarrassing in retrospect.
In fairness to the Brazilian, he was unlucky not to win the previous Ballon d’Or after a fantastic 2023/24 season. The Real Madrid star helped Los Blancos win both La Liga and the Champions League, scoring in the European final against Borussia Dortmund and scoring 15 league goals.
Despite promising to work ten times harder the next time around, he ended up having a worse season in 2024/25. The winger scored only 11 La Liga goals as Barcelona won the title over Madrid. Los Blancos would also be eliminated from the Champions League, falling 5-1 to Arsenal over two quarterfinal matches.
His performance in the new season has been hit and miss, with two goals and two assists in his first five games. Xabi Alonso has even stated that the player is no longer a certain starter, after benching him in the club’s Champions League victory over Marseille.
Although it would be incorrect to assume Vinicius has no chance of competing for the 2026 Ballon d’Or, teammate Kylian Mbappe is a considerably greater contender. Given the Brazilian’s bold assertion this time last year, he may probably bite his mouth now to avoid more embarrassment.
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