MADRID, Oct 28, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - Real Madrid said they will stay away from 
the Ballon d'Or ceremony in Paris on Monday as they are convinced that their 
striker Vinicius, the favourite to win the men's award, has been snubbed.

The club told AFP it questioned the methods behind the selection of the 
Ballon d'Or winner, saying that defender Dani Carvajal, another of the 30 
players nominated, had also been unfairly overlooked.

"If the award criteria doesn't give it to Vinicius as the winner, then those 
same criteria should point to Carvajal as the winner," the club told AFP.

"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."

The Ballon d'Or organisers decided to innovate this year by keeping the 
winner's identity a secret until the very end, to avoid any leaks to the 
press.

In previous years, the winner was revealed a few days before the award 
ceremony.

All the nominees were invited to the ceremony in Paris this evening.

The absence of the Real players and the club's declaration suggest that 
neither Vinicius, Carvajal nor Jude Bellingham, the architects of the club's 
European triumph, will win the trophy.

That could leave the way clear for Manchester City's Spanish midfielder 
Rodri, who won Euro 2024 and was named the tournament's best player by UEFA.

The Ballon d'Or is awarded by a jury of journalists representing the top 100 
nations in the FIFA rankings.