Rodri sends a message to Vinicius Jr after the Real Madrid star skips the Ballon d’Or ceremony.

Rodri has questioned Vinicius Jr’s choice to skip last month’s Ballon d’Or ceremony, stating he “would not have acted the same way.”

Vinicius Jr was widely seen as a top contender for the award after his standout performances helped Real Madrid secure the Champions League, La Liga, and Spanish Super Cup last season. However, a leak suggested that Rodri, 28, would take home the trophy following his impressive year with Manchester City and Spain, where he won both the Premier League and Euro 2024.

This revelation led Real Madrid’s representatives, including Vinicius Jr, to cancel their planned trip to Paris in protest, meaning no one was present to accept Los Blancos’ Men’s Club of the Year award.

Reportedly, Vinicius Jr was “devastated” to finish second to the City midfielder and later tweeted, “I’ll do it 10x if I have to. They’re not ready,” in a pointed message to the Ballon d’Or organizers.

According to Spanish reports, Vinicius Jr had even organized a large celebration in Madrid in anticipation of winning but canceled it when it became clear Rodri would win.

“When your value is recognized at a very high level, winner or not, it’s good to come,” Rodri told France Football. “There’s also the collective aspect that matters. For instance, Erling [Haaland] had a better chance than me to win last year, and I wanted to support him on that special occasion.”

Rodri emphasized the importance of handling both victory and loss gracefully and said that attending this year’s ceremony, despite his injury and recovery, was “a breath of fresh air” and a chance to enjoy the night.

When asked about Vinicius Jr’s decision, Rodri responded, “What do you want me to tell you? Would I have preferred everyone to be there? Of course. The second, third, fourth, etc., were all absent… I have to respect everyone’s decision, even if I wouldn’t have acted the same way.”

Vinicius Jr’s reaction has drawn criticism, with Gary Neville among those labeling him a “sore loser” and calling his response “classless.” Speaking on The Overlap US, Neville praised Rodri as a “class-act on and off the pitch” and expressed disappointment in Real Madrid’s approach. He suggested it would have been more gracious for Vinicius Jr to attend the event, celebrate Rodri’s win, and express his hope to win in the future.

“Vinicius is an incredible talent and likely to win it someday,” Neville said. “But trying to overshadow the moment? That, to me, is just classless.”