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Why Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham Skipped the 2024 Ballon d'Or Ceremony
The 2024 Ballon d'Or ceremony took place without some of the sport's biggest superstars, including Real Madrid's Vinícius Júnior and Jude Bellingham.
Hours ahead of the 2024 Ballon d'Or ceremony, Mario Cortegana of The Athletic reported Rodri would take home soccer's most prestigious individual award over Vinícius Júnior. The Brazilian had been the big favorite to win the honor and reportedly decided to stay in Madrid upon receiving the news that he had been overlooked.
Vinícius Jr.'s fellow teammates and nominees, including Bellingham, Dani Carvajal, Kylian Mbappé, Antonio Rüdiger and Federico Valverde were also absent from the ceremony. Bellingham, in particular, was among Vinícius Jr. and Rodri atop the odds to win the 2024 Ballon d'Or, but his seat at the Théâtre du Châtelet was empty.
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Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti also did not travel to Paris despite his nomination and win for the Men's Coach of the Year Trophy. The club's president, Florentino Pérez stayed home too along with Arda Güler, who was nominated for the 2024 Kopa Trophy.
Although Rodri topped the Premier League with Manchester City and helped Spain win Euro 2024, Vinícius Jr. was expected to take home this year's Ballon d'Or for his contributions to Los Blancos' winning La Liga, Champions League and Spanish Super Cup campaigns. The 24-year-old even became the youngest player in UCL history to score in two Champions League finals, breaking Lionel Messi's longstanding record.
Real Madrid's achievements from the 2023–24 season, spearheaded by Vinícius Jr. and Bellingham's efforts, earned the team a nomination and win for Men's Club of the Year. No one on behalf of the club was in attendance to accept the award.
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Amanda Langell is a Sports Illustrated Soccer freelance writer covering the European game and international competitions.