'Real Madrid threatens Ballon d'Or boycott if Vinicius Jr. is snubbed'

Real Madrid announced they will be boycotting the Ballon d'Or ceremony in Paris on Monday, citing their belief that their star striker Vinicius has been unfairly overlooked for the prestigious award.

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.

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"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. 

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