The era of Messi-Ronaldo dominance at the Ballon d’Or is officially coming to a close. For the first time in years, neither name graces the shortlist for the prestigious award. Instead, the spotlight falls on stars like Vinicius Junior, Rodri, Jude Bellingham, and Dani Carvajal. However, a surprising turn of events has left fans disappointed—Vinicius and several key figures from Real Madrid, including Coach Carlo Ancelotti, President Florentino Pérez, and Bellingham, will not attend the ceremony.
Scheduled for Monday night, October 28, at Paris’s Theatre du Chatelet, the glittering ceremony will crown the world’s best player of the year. Vinicius, a key player for Real Madrid with 24 goals and 11 assists in the 2023-24 season, helped lead the club to La Liga and Champions League titles and scored in the Champions League final, earning the tournament’s MVP title.
With Vinicius out of the spotlight, speculation mounts around Rodri, who could be a strong contender to claim this year’s Ballon d’Or. The ceremony will begin at 1:45 a.m. (local time in Paris), and millions of football fans worldwide await the announcement to see if history will be made.