Vinícius Júnior responded to criticism after winning FIFA’s The Best men’s player of the year award on Tuesday, accusing them of attempting to “invalidate” and “diminish” him.
Vinícius, 24, of Real Madrid and Brazil, won the 2024 prize, voted on by national team coaches, captains, journalists, and fans. He received 48 points, followed by Manchester City midfielder Rodri with 43 points and Madrid colleague Jude Bellingham with 37 points.
It comes after Real Madrid snubbed the Ballon d’Or ceremony in protest when Rodri defeated Vinícius in the France Football and UEFA-organized event.
“Today I write to the child who has seen so many idols lift that trophy,” Vinícius wrote on Instagram. “Now is his moment. That is, my time has arrived. The moment to declare: I have worked hard to earn the title of world’s top player.
“They’ve made numerous attempts to discredit and devalue me. However, they are not prepared. Nobody will dictate to me what I should fight for or how I should act. At São Gonçalo, the system showed no concern for me. I nearly got sucked up by it. “I won for my family and myself.” Along the journey, I received a lot of support from Flamengo, Real Madrid, the Brazilian national team, my hundreds of teammates over the years, those who support me in my daily routine, and those who think I’m the finest player in the world.
After helping Madrid achieve a La Liga and Champions League double in 2023–24, Vinícius received The Best for the first time.
Carlo Ancelotti earned the men’s coach of the year title, while Aitana Bonmati of Barcelona took home the women’s prize.
Vinícius responded to losing out on the Ballon d’Or in October by saying, “I’ll do it ten times if I have to.” He wrote, “They’re not ready.”
With none of the club’s several nominees or officials present, Madrid’s delegation had chosen not to go to the Ballon d’Or event in Paris when it became clear that Rodri would most likely win.
At Madrid’s Annual General Meeting last month, President Florentino Perez criticized the Ballon d’Or voting system, which involves 100 journalists from various countries. He claimed that “nobody knows who they are” and that the award should be “independently organized” with “people who are well-known” voting on it. After his victory on Tuesday, Neymar was one of the celebrities who praised Vinícius, telling his countryman to “keep flying” in an Instagram story.
