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| Photo =Capture the official website of Real Madrid |
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| AFP Yonhap News |
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| AFP Yonhap News |
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Real Madrid, which boycotted the Ballon d'Or due to Vinicius Junior's failure to win the award, attended the ceremony this time. Vinicius also lifted the trophy.
FIFA held the 'The Best FIFA Football Awards 2024' in Doha, Qatar on the 18th (Korea time). The award ceremony organized by FIFA, which was held from 2010 to 2015 with the French football magazine France Football under the name of the FIFA Ballon d'Or, has been held separately from the Ballon d'Or since 2016. As much as the Ballon d'Or, great attention is paid every year to who will be selected as FIFA's Player of the Year.
The section where the spotlight is concentrated is also 'Men's Player of the Year'. Lionel Messi won the award in 2022 and 2023, breaking the record for the most awards (8 times), and it will be decided through votes from coaches, captains, and media of each country from August 21, 2023 to August 10, 2024.
This year's protagonist was Vinicius. Vinicius won the award with a total of 48 points, beating Rodri (43) and Jude Bellingham (37). With this award, Vinicius has washed away his disappointment at the last Ballon d'Or. Vinicius finished second at the 2024 Ballon d'Or Awards held on October 29, failing to win the award.
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| AFP Yonhap News |
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The Ballon d'Or, which was held earlier than FIFA's Player of the Year, drew great attention as Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo were also excluded from the 30-man candidate, and attention was paid to which player would win the first runner at a time when the era of 'Menaldo' was over. In the midst of a fierce contest between Vinicius Junior and Rodri, the main character was Rodri. Until the last minute, Vinicius was expected to win, but Rodri, who played a key role in winning Euro 2024, won the trophy.
However, Real's absence drew more attention than Rodri's award. Vinicius' failure to win the award led Real Madrid to boycott the attendance of the entire squad. The club must select Dani Carvajal (Real Madrid) as the winner if Vinicius is not the winner according to the criteria. Real Madrid does not go to places that are not respected..." he said, explaining the reason for the boycott.
Vinicius also posted on social media after Rodri's award was confirmed after the ceremony, saying "'I'll jump ten times more if I need to, they're not ready.'", expressing unfairness, while Real teammates, Brazil's national team teammates, and some Legend players also expressed their opinion that Vinicius's failure to win the award made no sense.
The same was true of Carlo Ancelotti. At a press conference after the ceremony, Vinicius again indirectly hinted at the claim that he should have won. He said of the Ballon d'Or `The Ballon d'Or is over.' `We have the European Champions League on June 1, where we have already won the Ballon d'Or" he said. As for Vinicius's condition "He is grieving, but it is not because of the Ballon d'Or, but because of the unfortunate situation in Valencia."," he added.
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| 사진=FIFA 공식 SNS 캡처 |
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But when Vinicius was awarded the men's player of the year at the The Best FIFA Football Awards 2024, Real's atmosphere was completely different. All of them attended the ceremony, and Ancelotti won director of the year. Vinicius, Bellingham, Antonio Rudiger and Dani Carvajal were among the best 11.
Real celebrated this by releasing a group photo of the team along with the trophies of the winners on its official website. Real Madrid squad for FIFA in Doha??Congratulations to your award-winning teammates at The Best Gala,' the release said. Contrasted with the appearance after the Ballon d'Or ceremony.
digh1229@sportschosun.com
