PARIS, FRANCE – The best of the best in the soccer world were awarded at the Ballon d’Or ceremony on Monday, Oct. 28, prompting controversy.
On Monday evening, the Ballon d’Or ceremony concluded, in which the top 30 men and women soccer players were praised for their ability and technique, and the best of the class were especially honored.
Lamine Yamal, 17, won the Kopa trophy, which recognizes the best under-21 players in the world, becoming the youngest to win.
Other trophies were handed out, but three were the center of controversy: the Ballon d’Or, Men’s Johan Cruyff Trophy, and the Gerd Muller Trophy.
The Gerd Muller Trophy, which is the award for best striker, was the start in which co-winner Kylian Mbappe, who scored 52 goals along with Harry Kane of Bayern Munich, did not show up with the rest of his team, Real Madrid.
“It was his personal decision not to be present,” Kane said in an interview with Goal.com. “We both had a very good season and, like me, he scored 52 goals. It’s a great honor to be rewarded. We’ll have to ask him why he wasn’t there, but it’s an honor to be here tonight in any case.”
The winner of the Gerd Muller Trophy, Kane, did not speak very much on the issue, which was reciprocated by the winner of the Men’s Johan Cruyff Trophy, Carlo Ancelotti, who, along with Kylian Mbappe, is a member of Real Madrid.
“I want to thank my family, my President, my Club, my players and above all Vini and Carvajal,” Ancelotti wrote in a statement on X.
The two players mentioned, Vinicius Junior and Dani Carvajal were two of the four in the men’s Ballon d’Or top four, along with teammate Jude Bellingham, who was ranked third. Although they had three of four spots, they all missed out on number one and the coveted Ballon d’Or, which Rodri of Manchester City won.
This was the factor that caused the controversy surrounding Real Madrid, which won Best Men’s Club: not showing up at the Theatre de Chatelet, where the ceremony was held. Many had their own words on the matter, particularly Brazilian sports journalist Douglas Cenonello.
“The fact that Vini Jr. wasn’t awarded the title of the best player in the world at the Ballon d’Or is yet another way to penalize the Brazilian for his outspoken stance on racial issues, both on and off the field,” Cenonello remarked.
His words voiced what many people in Brazil believe, that Vinicius had the Ballon d’Or unjustly taken away from him for possibly a multitude of reasons, like the fact that he is not European and had an unfair disadvantage, or that he is very outspoken on racism which he has been a target of in the past.
After the loss, Vinicius took to X to voice his thoughts: “I will do it 10 times if I have to. They are not ready.”
