Organizers of the Ballon d’Or award have insisted that no player or club has prior knowledge of who the 2024 winner of the award will be.
According to the organizers, all the players and clubs are in the same position, and the confidentiality of the award remains unbroken.
“All the clubs and players are in the same boat,” a Ballon d’Or source told AFP.
The statement follows earlier reports that Vinicius Junior and Real Madrid are set to boycott the much-anticipated 2024 Ballon d’Or ceremony, as a surprising development has emerged just hours before the event.
The 2024 Ballon d’Or, which celebrates the best football player in the world, will be announced on Monday night at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris, France.
This year, several top-tier players, including Vinicius, Manchester City’s Rodri, Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham, and Paris Saint-Germain’s Kylian Mbappe, are considered strong contenders for the prestigious accolade.
In the lead-up to the ceremony, Vinicius Junior, the 23-year-old Brazilian sensation, was viewed as a frontrunner to claim the coveted individual award.
However, anticipation has taken an unexpected turn with some reports claiming Rodri of Manchester City is set to claim the coveted award.
According to RMC Sport’s Fabrice Hawkins, Vinicius’s entourage has shifted their expectations dramatically, with sources indicating they no longer believe he will be named the Ballon d’Or winner. The sentiment within Real Madrid also reflects this outlook, with many believing that the young star will not secure the honour.
Adding to the unfolding drama, transfer insider Fabrizio Romano reported on social media that Real Madrid have decided not to send a delegation to the Ballon d’Or ceremony in Paris.
