Brazilian journalists and fans have slammed the organisers of the Ballon d'Or award after Vinicius Junior was not declared the winner.
On Monday, Rodri was named the winner of the Ballon d'Or award in Paris, with Vinicius and club representatives not attending the ceremony.
Last season, when Real Madrid won both La Liga and the Champions League, the Brazilian forward was the team's leading scorer.
However, despite his performance last season, he missed out on winning the Ballon d'Or award, coming second behind Rodri, who won the Euro 2024 with Spain and other trophies
Brazilians react to Ballon d'Or award
Some Brazilian news analysts, as reported by BBC have concluded that the decision was the most contentious in the award's history, calling it an unfair and vindictive action.
Guga Chacra, a commentator for Globo News, the top TV news network in Brazil, said, "We know that Vinicius is a target of racism in Spanish football and other parts of Europe, and he actively fights against racism.
"This leads us to question whether the result that gave Rodri the win was influenced by prejudice and racism against Vinicius."
Gustavo Faldon, of the Brazilian daily Estadao said, "The [treatment of] Vinicius was the biggest injustice in the history of Ballon d'Or.
"The fact that he is Brazilian, plays for Real Madrid, and is a forward should have worked in his favour in the history of the award."
It sounds like an injustice to me," added Rodrigo Bueno, a sports commentator for ESPN Brasil.
According to Milly Lacombe, a sports analyst for the Brazilian news website UOL, the Ballon d'Or, "missed the opportunity to pay a heartfelt tribute to the most talked-about player of the season - known for his dribbling, goals, ability to make decisive plays, and social activism."
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