Brazil and Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr has vowed to persist in his fight against racism, even if his activism may have impacted his chances of winning the prestigious Ballon d’Or. On Monday, Vinicius expressed his determination on social media after placing second in the award voting, trailing Spain and Manchester City midfielder Rodri.
“I will do it 10 times if I have to. They’re not ready,” Vinicius posted on X (formerly Twitter), following Real Madrid’s decision to boycott the Paris award ceremony in anticipation of Vinicius not winning the men’s award.
Vinicius’ management team confirmed to Reuters that his statement referred to his fight against racism, which they believe may have influenced the voting outcome. “The football world is not ready to accept a player who challenges the system,” his team stated.
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The 24-year-old Brazilian international has faced multiple incidents of racial abuse in Spain, leading to groundbreaking convictions for racial insults in some of the country’s first cases of this kind.
Despite Vinicius’ individual loss, Real Madrid was recognized with the Men’s Club of the Year award, while their manager, Carlo Ancelotti, was named Men’s Coach of the Year after a stellar season capturing both the European and Spanish league titles.
The Ballon d’Or, organized by France Football, is decided by a panel of journalists from the top 100 FIFA-ranked countries. France Football was not immediately available for comment on the award results.
