- Man City midfielder Rodri beat Vinicius Jnr to the Ballon d’Or on Monday night
- Clarence Seedorf has a theory on why Vinicius Jnr missed out on the award
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Dutch legend Clarence Seedorf believes Real Madrid star Vinicius Jnr missed out on the Ballon d’Or due to an ‘unresolved’ dispute.
Vinicius Jnr was beaten to the prestigious award on Monday night by Manchester City midfielder Rodri, as the Brazilian winger finished second in the rankings ahead of Madrid team-mates Jude Bellingham and Dani Carvajal.
After finding out that Vinicius Jnr had not won earlier in the day, Real Madrid opted not to send any representatives to the ceremony as they made their disgust clear.
Seedorf, who won the Champions League with Madrid in 1998, was in attendance with his wife Sophia Makramati, and put forward his own theory as to why Vinicius Jnr was overlooked.
‘I already voted almost a year ago and I think Vinicius deserved this award,’ Seedorf told TNT Sports Brasil.
Rodri was awarded the Ballon d’Or on Monday night ahead of Vinicius Jnr
Vinicius Jnr did not attend the ceremony after discovering that he had not won the award
Clarence Seedorf (pictured alongside his wife Sophia Makramati) believes Vinicius Jnr did not win due to an ‘unresolved’ dispute between Real Madrid and UEFA
‘It seems that there is something between Real Madrid and UEFA that seems to be unresolved.’
He added: ‘The problems between Real Madrid and UEFA should be kept outside of these matters. It’s a shame.’
Seedorf did not detail exactly what the dispute may be over, and Madrid did still win the team of the year, while Carlo Ancelotti was declared men’s coach of the year following his side’s LaLiga and Champions League triumphs.
Yet Seedorf was far from the only high-profile figure to disagree with the final Ballon d’Or standings.
Vinicius took to X after the decision was announced to post: ‘I’ll do it 10x if I have to. They’re not ready.’
He was backed by several of his team-mates, including Eduardo Camavinga, who also suggested that it was not a footballing decision.
Camavinga wrote on social media: ‘FOOTBALL POLITICS. My brother you are the best player in the world and no award can say otherwise. Love you my bro.’
Aurelien Tchouameni added: ‘Nothing will take away what you’ve achieved my brother. We ALL know… They are not ready for what you’re gonna deliver.’
Meanwhile, Madrid defender Eder Militao stated: ‘You are the best and no one can take that away from you. The Best!’
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
