Rio Ferdinand banged the Ballon d’Or drum for Vinicius after the Champions League final (Image: TNT)
Rio Ferdinand was convinced Vinicius Jr had the “Ballon d’Or in the bag” following his Champions League final performance, only for the Brazilian to snub the award ceremony upon learning he wouldn’t win.
The Real Madrid sensation clinched the Champions League last season, netting the decisive goal in the final as Los Blancos triumphed over Borussia Dortmund at Wembley. With several standout moments in Europe under his belt, Vinicius was tipped as a frontrunner for the coveted individual accolade.
Ferdinand, utterly persuaded that the Real striker would claim the Golden Ball and become the first Brazilian victor since Kaka in 2007, was vocal in his support during TNT Sports’ Champions League broadcasts.
A video captured Ferdinand repeatedly exclaiming “Ballon d’Or” as Vinicius found the net in the Champions League final, with him stating: “The biggest moments in the Champions League this season – Vinicius has turned up”.
Yet, Ferdinand’s forecast fell short as Rodri scooped the prize instead. The lead-up to the event was rife with speculation that it was a two-horse race between the Spanish midfielder and the Brazilian forward.
Rodri’s success for club and country saw him land the award (Image: getty)
Hours before the ceremony, news broke that the Manchester City player had won, thanks to another Premier League title and his influential role in Spain’s victorious Euros campaign.
Real Madrid were seething after being snubbed at the illustrious football ceremony, resulting in a highly-publicised boycott of the event. No representative from the Spanish giants took to the skies for Paris as the club’s decision faced widespread denouncement.
Vinicius Jnr missed out on the Ballon d’Or and chose to boycott the ceremony (Image: getty)
The esteemed team boasted three players – Dani Carvajal, Jude Bellingham, and Vinicius – among the top four contenders.
Even with Kylian Mbappe ranked in the coveted top ten list, there was a noticeable absence from Real Madrid to collect any honours; leaving Rodri to occupy the podium solo. This followed accusations from Real towards the organisers and UEFA of a blatant lack of respect.
They declared to AFP: “If the award criteria doesn’t give it to Vinicius as the winner, then those same criteria should point to Carvajal as the winner. As this was not the case, it is clear that Ballon d’Or-UEFA does not respect Real Madrid. And Real Madrid does not go where it is not respected.”
Rodri lauded his triumph, saying, “not just a victory for me, but for Spanish football. So many players who didn’t win the award, but deserved it, this is a victory of Spanish football.”
Source: https://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/1968488/Rio-Ferdinand-Ballon-dOr