"Shows the mentality of those afraid of our presence" - Vinicius Jr's friend sends message to star following reported Ballon d'Or snub
Vinicius Jr.'s friend has sent a heartwarming message for the Real Madrid superstar after his reported 2024 Ballon d'Or snub. The Brazilian was hotly tipped to win his first Ballon d'Or at Théâtre du Châtelet today (October 28).
However, several reports have now revealed that Manchester City's midfield metronome Rodri will win the Ballon d'Or. This last-minute news reportedly led the entire Real Madrid delegation to cancel their trip to Paris as a sign of protest, reported journalist Fabrizio Romano.
After the news of Vinicius Jr.'s alleged Ballon d'Or snub broke out online, his friend MC Maneirinho shared a heartwarming message for the Brazilian superstar. Posting a picture with Vinicius Jr. on Instagram, he wrote:
"I love you best brother in the world You do much more than play ball, who came from where we came from doesn't have to do 2x more, and 10x more every day. But this award should not go to your hands, it only shows the mentality of those who are afraid of our presence." (translated from Portuguese to English via Google)
MC Maneirinho went on to recall Vinicius Jr.'s professional debut and claimed that he had predicted that a day like this would come.
"I was there at your professional debut and I was sure that this day would come. Once again we stumbled upon the evil of the masters of engineering to take what is ours," he continued.
"But nothing can erase what you have done, proud brother, pride of the bridge to ca, your family, your friends here and the whole world have already chosen you as the BEST IN THE WORLD, you don't need a status and I know that it won't shake you, you are the greatest example of overcoming that I have the honor to call a friend. I love you mlk, best in the world," ended MC Maneirinho.
The post has accumulated over 270,000 likes on Instagram at the time of writing.
How was Ballon d'Or nominee Vinicius Jr. in the 2023-24 season?
Vinicius Jr. was one of the most clutch players for Los Blancos last season, registering 24 goals and 11 assists in 39 games across competitions. With the Brazilian in the squad, Los Blancos won LaLiga, the UEFA Champions League, and Supercopa de Espana in the 2023-24 season.
The Brazilian winger was a true big-game player, coming up with clutch moments to flip Los Blancos' fate during tough situations. He scored a 32-minute hat-trick against domestic rivals Barcelona in the Supercopa de Espana final. Real Madrid won the game 4-1 on January 14, 2024.
The Brazilian was especially effective in the last few games of the UEFA Champions League, helping his side win their record-extending 15th title. He dominated Bayern Munich in both legs of the semi-final, scoring twice in the first leg and helping Los Blancos win 4-3 over two legs.
The Brazilian also scored in the 2-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League final at Wembley on June 1, 2024.