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Real Madrid ace Vini Jr's tweet after losing Ballon d'Or to Man City's Rodri now looks…

In the race for the 2024 Ballon d'Or, many felt as though Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior was destined to get his hands on football's most prestigious individual award. However, votes ultimately settled on Spanish midfielder Rodri as their champion.

News actually broke ahead of their ceremony, provoking an incensed reaction from the Brazilian winger and his club, as they boycotted the event in Paris. According to reports, Vini Jr was so sure he'd win the prize, he'd already

promised teammates Rolex watches as a thank you for helping him win the award. It was even claimed that he celebrated with friends and family on the Sunday evening before the official announcement, thinking the award was his.

Instead, though, Rodri won the 2024 Ballon d'Or, as the midfielder was recognised for his pivotal role in Spain's triumph at the Euros that summer, as well as his incredible form with Manchester City, with the then Premier League champions losing just once in 12 months when he started in midfield for them.

Vinicius Junior Sent Bold Message After Rodri's Ballon d'Or

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Vinicius was clearly upset by the snubbing but sent out a social media post in the immediate aftermath, setting out just how determined he was to prove his doubters wrong. Indeed, the Brazilian wrote 10 simple words: "Eu farei 10x se for preciso. Eles não estão preparados."

Which, in English, translates to:

"I'll do 10x I have to. They're not ready."

Now 12 months on from that famous post, it's fair to say the player has not lived up to the lofty expectations he set for himself. This is proven by his lowly 16th-placed finish in the 2025 Ballon d'Or rankings, which frankly makes his message a little embarrassing in hindsight.

In fairness ot the Brazilian, he was unfortunate not to win the previous Ballon d'Or, having had a brilliant 2023/24 campaign. The Real Madrid star helped deliver both La Liga and the Champions League for Los Blancos, netting in the European final win over Borussia Dortmund, and bagging 15 league goals.

Having promised to work 10 times harder next time out, however, he ended up having a worse season in 2024/25. Just 11 La Liga goals would come for the winger, as Barcelona took Madrid's title. Los Blancos would also crash out of the Champions League, losing 5-1 to Arsenal across two quarter-final legs.

His form in the new season has been a little hit and miss too, with two goals and two assists in his first five outings. Xabi Alonso has even suggested the player is no longer a guaranteed starter, having benched him for the club's Champions League win over Marseille.

Although it would be wrong to suggest Vinicius has no chance of fighting for the 2026 Ballon d'Or, it's fair to say teammate Kylian Mbappe is a far stronger candidate. Considering the Brazilian made such a bold claim this time last year, he may well bite his tongue now, or risk further embarrassment.

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