Vinicius Junior's fall from grace! Real Madrid star suffers huge drop in Ballon d'Or rankings after vowing to return for prize following shock loss to Rodri in 2024

Vinicius finished second behind Manchester City midfielder Rodri in the 2024 Ballon d’Or standings, a result that caused outrage in Madrid. Los Blancos boycotted last year’s ceremony in protest, furious at what they saw as disrespect to their star forward. This year, the winger has endured an even greater setback, plummeting to 16th in the rankings despite remaining one of Madrid’s biggest names.

The drop in Vinicius’ standing highlights the shifting perception of Madrid’s dominance on the global stage. The Brazilian has been falling down the pecking order, while players like Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe have risen in influence, and the winger’s individual shine has dimmed in the eyes of voters.

Reports in Spain suggest Real Madrid are unlikely to send representatives to the 2025 Ballon d’Or gala. Although nominated players such as Bellingham, Mbappe, Dean Huijsen and Thibaut Courtois have permission to attend, none are expected to show up. The club’s La Liga clash against Levante on Tuesday night has also factored into their decision to avoid the event.

Vinicius has not been taking well to his fall from grace and was even spotted throwing a tantrum in Real Madrid's 2-0 win over Espanyol. With issues also halting his contract extension at the Bernabeu, the potential of a possible exit next summer could be a very real possibility.