Franck Ribery laughs at Ballon d'Or vote as Vinicius Jr loses out to Rodri - with ex-Bayern winger still salty over losing in 2013

Vinicius was widely considered the frontrunner for the accolade, particularly after his stellar performances helped Real Madrid secure both La Liga and Champions League titles, as well as the Supercopa de Espana. Meanwhile, Rodri's achievements with Manchester City - notably winning the Premier League - and his contributions to Spain's Euro 2024 victory solidified his position as a serious contender.

In the hours leading up to the ceremony, the atmosphere turned sour for Real Madrid's delegation after learning of Vinicius' defeat. In a show of discontent, the team chose not to attend the event in Paris. Several Los Blancos players, including Vinicius, took to social media to express their outrage and Eduardo Camavinga even claimed that the result was down to "football politics" rather than sporting merit.

Ribery did not hold back in his critique of the Ballon d'Or results. The former Bayern Munich star, who has long held a grudge over his own Ballon d'Or snub in 2013, took to social media to express his amusement, as he mocked the award with three laughing emojis.

@franckribery7

In 2013, Ribery found himself on the wrong end of a controversial voting process that saw Cristiano Ronaldo claim his second Ballon d'Or, despite playing a crucial role in Bayern's treble-winning campaign Originally, the deadline for submissions was set for November 15, but it was extended for two weeks due to a shortage of eligible voters - a move Ribery claimed was politically motivated. Despite being favoured by bookmakers, he finished third, behind both Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

"It was unfair," Ribery previously stated in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport. "It was an incredible season for me, and I should have won it. They extended the time for votes, and something strange happened. I felt that it was a political choice."

Vinicius' start to the 2024-25 season with Real Madrid has been nothing short of impressive, as he has already contributed eight goals and seven assists in just 15 matches. Alongside him, teammate Jude Bellingham finished third in the Ballon d'Or rankings, with Dani Carvajal and Manchester City’s Erling Haaland rounding out the top five. The Brazilian will return to action against Valencia on Saturday in a La Liga fixture.