Real Madrid accused of behaving like Donald Trump as Mats Hummels blasts club over Ballon d'Or boycott due to Vinicius Junior snub

When news broke that Rodri would be winning the Ballon d'Or, no one was more shocked than those at Real Madrid. As a show of solidarity with their Brazilian star, everyone nominated for an award at the ceremony in France remained in Spain in protest. A few days later, former Borussia Dortmund defender Hummels, who faced Madrid in the Champions League final earlier in the year, has had his say on the drama and compared the club to the former United States president.

Speaking on his podcast Alles ist Schwer, Hummels said: ""I try to make it somewhat political and diplomatic... because you haven't won an election, it does have a bit of a Trumpian quality. Unfortunately, it's disrespectful to the others who are there. That's the bad thing."

He added: "He has won the FA Cup, the Premier League, Euro 2024, has lost one of his last 80 games and scores important goals. There's no question that someone from Real would have deserved it too. But there are other amazing players too. They're all so good. And then not to give them the credit is really mean."

In an era without Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo being eligible for the award, the Ballon d'Or ceremony needs football's biggest stars present to celebrate the best player on the planet. The incident puts the future of the accolade and the involvement of Madrid in serious doubt.

Rodri has rightfully been celebrating his triumph while Vinicius has been very active on social media, hinting that he will show the entire world why he should have won. The Manchester City star is not likely to be on the pitch again this season after being ruled out with an injury, while the Madrid star has it all to play for.