Real Madrid is like being in kindergarten

Rodri wins the Ballon d'Or in the 2023/2024 season. While Espanyol celebrated humility, Real Madrid emerged as a sore loser – both eliciting reactions.

Virtually every Golden Globes show has someone who is offended or at least feels unfairly treated. 2024 will be no exception. On the contrary: Champions League champions Real Madrid are setting a new standard of defiance in a collective boycott as none of their players win the all-important individual award.

Here are the reactions to the Royals' actions and Rodri's coronation:

Pooh's reaction

In the end he finished “only” second: enough to make Vinicius Junior very angry. After the ceremony, he addressed X himself—still defiant, but also declaring war:

By “it” he may be referring to his undoubtedly outstanding performance last season.

The club itself has issued a statement in advance justifying the absence:

Support from real colleagues

Madridistas certainly seem to agree. Many of Vinicius' current (and former) teammates also commented and assured the Brazilian that he was the best. Take Toni Kroos for example:

Meanwhile, his French teammate Eduardo Camavinga even suspected a conspiracy. Not awarding Vinicius the award is “football politics”.

French broadcaster makes fun of Vinicius

The behavior of the Madridistas also caused a lot of ridicule. For example, during the awards ceremony, French TV station France Football used memes to poke fun at Vinicius Junior. The move was not well received, especially in Madrid.

speed display

Well-known streamer “IShowSpeed” wasn't too happy either. In a video showing the American making the announcement, Cristiano Ronaldo and Real Madrid's biggest fans appeared shocked that Vinicius didn't win. He applauded Rodri somewhat hesitantly.

Rodri's big party

All of Real Madrid's insulted pride may not matter to him. Despite all the sideshow, the Ballon d'Or winner was celebrated. His Manchester City team-mate Ilkay Gundogan personally congratulated him on social media:

After the victory, the Spaniards celebrated a lot, as the video on “X” shows:

Rodri gets a lot of praise

The Spaniard, who is known for his modesty, also behaved somewhat like Real Madrid during the awards ceremony. Rodri mentioned in his speech that some people don’t know him well because he doesn’t appear on social media either:

Rodri has received praise from many netizens for his humble appearance:

A little more Rodri might be good for Real Madrid and Vinicius Junior – then maybe they can win the Ballon d'Or next year.