Vinícius' Worst Nightmare: His Star Teammate Stealing the Ballon d’Or

Kylian Mbappé is hitting top form and clearly outpacing the Brazilian.

The race for the Ballon d’Or by France Football is in full swing, and Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappé has finally emerged as one of the top contenders. The French forward has quickly settled in Madrid, scoring five goals in the Champions League, seven in La Liga, one in the Copa del Rey, and another in the Spanish Super Cup in 2025. His hat-trick against Manchester City is being talked about worldwide.

Meanwhile, Vinícius seems to have forgotten that past achievements don’t count. The Brazilian has been overshadowed by his teammate lately. In the new year, the forward — who narrowly missed out on last season’s award — has only scored three goals (two in the Champions League and one in the Copa del Rey). His last La Liga goal dates back to November 9, 2024. Barcelona fans have even mocked him for his lack of goals, pointing out that defender Eric García has scored more league goals in 2025 than Vinícius. More often than not, the Brazilian is in the headlines for controversies rather than his performances.

Now, bookmakers are placing Mbappé ahead of Vinícius in the Ballon d’Or race. Mohamed Salah from Liverpool still leads the odds, but the Frenchman is closing in fast.

The France Football annual ceremony is the most prestigious event in football, even overshadowing team trophies at times — especially during the epic rivalry between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo for the Ballon d’Or. However, in 2024, when Messi and Ronaldo were no longer realistic contenders, one of the biggest scandals in recent history erupted.

A month before the ceremony, media outlets widely reported that Vinícius had won the Ballon d’Or. The Brazilian himself believed he was about to be crowned the world’s best player. At the end of a match against Barcelona, he got into a heated exchange with Gavi, who flashed four fingers to remind him of Barça’s 4-0 victory. Vinícius responded: "Yeah, yeah, but on Monday, I’ll be lifting the Ballon d’Or."

However, just before the ceremony, some insiders suddenly changed their predictions, favoring Manchester City’s Rodri instead. Others continued to insist that Vinícius had won.

Marc Las, the executive director of the Ballon d’Or, dismissed all leaks as fake: "Only two people know the winner — myself and the head of France Football. Anyone else claiming they know or have seen a list is lying. We assure you, the winner is not aware of their victory beforehand."

Then came the much-anticipated evening, but no one from Real Madrid traveled to Paris. The club had already learned the results and boycotted the event. In the end, the Ballon d’Or went to Manchester City’s Rodri, while Real Madrid had to settle for the "Best European Team of 2024" award.

Many of Vinícius’ compatriots saw this as a case of racial discrimination. His friend, rapper MC Maneirinho, posted on social media: "Brother, you’re the best in the world. Your game is more than just moving the ball. People from our background have to work not twice, but ten times harder. They fear our presence. That’s their mindset, but it won’t shake us. They fear us."

The implication was clear: Vinícius was denied the award because of his background and skin color, while Rodri, being white, was favored.

That argument could have been used again in 2025. Few would dare to award another light-skinned player over Vinícius — if only he had been performing at the required level. But unfortunately for him, Mbappé, despite being French, is also not white. Vinícius has no choice but to step up his game if he wants to outshine his star teammate once again.

Published by Patrick Jane
21.02.2025