‘They’re not ready’ - Vinicius Jr breaks his silence after missing out on Ballon d’Or to Rodri and snubbing ceremony as Real Madrid star makes defiant vow

Vinicius Jr has reacted to Rodri's Ballon d'Or triumph on X, vowing to "do it 10x if I have to". The Real Madrid star wrote: "I'll do it 10x if I have to. They're not ready," in a post that instantly went viral on social media.

Vinicius appeared to be all set to claim his first Ballon d'Or award until it was reported on Monday afternoon that the Brazilian and a contingent of Real Madrid players didn't plan to attend the ceremony in Paris. They had clearly gotten wind of Rodri's success and, along with head coach Carlo Ancelotti, decided to boycott the event.

Vinicius has already received a lot of support from his Real Madrid team-mates after finishing second in the voting, with Eduardo Camavinga issuing a particularly passionate response.

The fallout will certainly continue after one of the most controversial ceremonies in history. Vinicius will aim to send the voters a message when Real Madrid take on Valencia on Saturday.