The awarding of the Ballon d’Or to Manchester City midfielder Rodri has sparked confusion and disappointment among current and former Real Madrid players, who believe the award should have gone to runner-up Vinícius Júnior.

No Real Madrid representative traveled to Paris for the awards ceremony after it was announced the prestigious trophy would not go to the Brazilian striker.

Vinícius Júnior himself also indicated that he did not agree with the result: “I’ll do it 10 times if I have to. They are not ready yet,” the Brazilian wrote on the social media platform X.

In a statement published by Spanish newspaper El País, the club said: “It is clear that Ballon d’Or does not respect Real Madrid. Real Madrid doesn’t go where it’s not respected.”

In the award, voted on by journalists in a poll jointly organized by France Football and the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), Rodri came first, followed by Vinícius Júnior and his Real Madrid teammates Jude Bellingham and Dani Carvajal.

Real midfielder Eduardo Camavinga described the vote as “football politics” and wrote on X next to a photo of himself and Vinícius Júnior: “My brother, you are the best player in the world and no award can say otherwise.”

Toni Kroos, who ended his successful career at Real Madrid this summer, posted a picture on Instagram next to Vinícius Júnior and captioned it “the best”.