Vinicius Jr., the Brazilian and Real Madrid forward, stated that he would persist in his efforts to combat prejudice, even if his activism prevented him from winning the Ballon d’Or.
Real won the Men’s Club of the Year award, and their manager Carlo Ancelotti was named Men’s Coach of the Year after winning the European and Spanish league double in a near-perfect campaign last season.
Vinicius posted on social media after losing to Rodriguez - a Manchester City and Spain midfielder - in Monday's annual prize vote.
"I will do it ten times if I have to. They're not ready,” Vinicius tweeted on X after Real Madrid, his La Liga team, canceled their plans to attend the ceremony in Paris in expectation of the Brazilian not winning the men's prize.
Eu farei 10x se for preciso. Eles não estão preparados.
— Vini Jr. (@vinijr) October 28, 2024
The 24-year-old Brazilian international has faced racial abuse on multiple occasions in Spain, resulting in at least two convictions for racist comments in pioneering cases in the country.
Vinicius's management staff attributed his lack of award acceptance to his fight against racism, stating that the football world was not ready to accept such a player.
