Real Madrid boycott Ballon d’Or after rumored leak

Manchester City midfielder Rodri clinched a surprising win for the men’s Ballon d’Or, while Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmati retained the women’s trophy. Although Rodri was considered an outsider, many expected Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr. to claim the award. However, leaked reports suggesting Vinicius would miss out led Real Madrid to boycott the ceremony entirely.

As a result, Real Madrid had no representatives present to accept the men’s club of the year award or Carlo Ancelotti’s honor as men’s coach of the year. Event organizers insisted that no club or player had advanced knowledge of the winners. Still, reports from Spain indicated Real Madrid president Florentino Perez was “furious,” stating, “the Ballon d’Or no longer exists for us.”

Vinicius ultimately placed second, with Jude Bellingham in third and Dani Carvajal fourth. Despite the surrounding tension, Rodri—currently sidelined with an ACL injury—accepted his first Ballon d’Or, making him the first Premier League player to win the award since Cristiano Ronaldo in 2008. The midfielder was previously named player of the tournament at the Euros and has been instrumental in Manchester City’s record of four consecutive Premier League titles.