IMAGO / Alexandra Fechete

Brazil FA Chief Reignites Fire Surrounding Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr.'s Ballon d'Or Snub

Originally posted on Real Madrid CF on SI
By Eduardo Razo | Last updated Jun 14, 2025 4:14 AM ET

The 2024-25 season has ended, and one of the main storylines of the campaign was Vinicius Jr. missing out on winning the Ballon d’Or. Manchester City’s Rodri came away with the honor, and less than a year later, it remains a topic that’s still discussed in Brazil.

Rodrigo Caetano, sporting director of the Brazilian Football Confederation, appeared on “El Larguero,” and one of the topics he addressed was Vinicius not winning the prestigious award last year (via Cadena SER).

All of us in Brazil knew that if anyone deserved to win the Ballon d’Or, of course it would be Vinicius, for everything he did last season—winning titles, making plays, scoring goals...Rodrigo Caetano

Real Madrid's No. 7, and now Brazil’s No. 10 in Neymar Jr.'s absence, later did win The Best award as a consolation prize to highlight his impressive 2023-24 season. It's not the major award that he probably had in mind, but it showed that he was considered the best by coaches, players, fans, and some media outlets.

⚽️ "Si alguien merecía ganar el Balón de Oro, era Vinicius por todo lo que había hecho..."

✊ "Lamentablemente, en otros países no, pero aquí el racismo es un CRIMEN"

"Es un chico muy querido aquí, es muy humilde"

Rodrigo Caetano, director deportivo del @CBF_Futebol pic.twitter.com/EwmG6TwZ8J
— El Larguero (@ellarguero) June 12, 2025

The CBF’s sporting director explained that the expectations and pressure on Vinicius are incredibly high, partly due to the level of performance he has delivered in recent years.

We know that the more a player stands out, the more is expected of them to always be decisive... What they do off the pitch is regrettable and unacceptable. In Brazil, racism is a crime. Unfortunately, in other countries, it is not.Rodrigo Caetano

This year, Vinicius isn’t one of the favorites to win the Ballon d’Or, but in 2026 is where he can put himself as the leading candidate with his season at Real Madrid and Brazil with the 2026 FIFA World Cup occurring next summer.

This article first appeared on Real Madrid CF on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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