Vinicius Jr said that he will keep on fighting racism even if his activism may have come at the cost of winning the Ballon d’Or on Monday.
Vinicius took to social media after finishing second in the prestigious award voting behind Spain and Manchester City midfielder Rodri.
“I will do it 10 times if I have to. They’re not ready,” the Real Madrid forward posted on X after his club cancelled plans to attend the ceremony in Paris, boycotting it in anticipation of the Brazilian not winning the men’s award.
According to Reuters, Vinicius’ management staff confirmed that the 24-year-old was referring to his fight against racism in his social media post, believing that has influenced the decision in his Ballon d’Or award snub. He intended that “the football world is not ready to accept a player who fights against the system.”
Eu farei 10x se for preciso. Eles não estão preparados.
— Vini Jr. (@vinijr) October 28, 2024
The prestigious award hosted by France Football is based on voting by a panel of journalists from the top 100 FIFA-ranked countries.
The Brazil forward has been subjected to racial abuse on several occasions while representing Madrid in Spain, leading to at least two convictions for racist insults in the country.
Players react
“FOOTBALL POLITICS X. My brother, you are the best player in the world and no award can say otherwise. Love you my bro,” Real’s Eduardo Camavinga posted on X, while several other teammates shared messages with photos of Vinicius saying “You are the best”.
“I waited all year for Vini Jr to be deservedly recognised as the best player in the world and now they come to tell me that the Ballon d’Or is not for him?” Brazilian women’s great Marta said in a video on Instagram.
Vinicius was instrumental in Real’s Champions League-LaLiga double along with 21-year-old Jude Bellingham, who scored 19 goals in a sparkling debut campaign and helped England reach the Euro 2024 final, and came third in the Ballon d’Or ranking.
– With Reuters inputs
