By: Kayla Rosen
On October 28th, the prestigious Ballon d’Or will be awarded at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris, France, recognizing the world’s best football player. Established in 1956, this annual accolade has been presented 68 times, and this year, all eyes are on Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr. as the frontrunner for the title.
At just 24 years old, Vinicius has made waves in La Liga since joining Real Madrid in 2018. Last season, he had an impressive 26 goals and provided 11 assists, playing a pivotal role in Real Madrid’s victories in La Liga, the Champions League, and the Spanish Super Cup. These achievements position him ahead of Manchester City’s Rodri, who, despite winning the Premier League and the Euro Cup with Spain, fell short in his goal contribution.
Yet, Vinicius’s journey has been anything but smooth. Throughout his career, he has confronted racism in La Liga. A stark example of this occurred in January 2023 when Atletico Madrid fans hung a life size dummy dressed in Vinicius’s jersey from a bridge, an act tied to the extremist group Frente Atletica, leading to charges against four individuals. Instances of racial abuse have been documented in several matches against teams such as FC Barcelona and Mallorca.
Vinicius has expressed the difficulty of addressing these issues, saying, “Talking about racism is always very difficult because in the last season here in Madrid, it happened to me a lot.” In June 2024, a Valencia court sentenced those responsible for racist remarks directed at him during a May 2023 match to eight months in prison.
Most recently, a match on September 29th between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid was halted for about 20 minutes due to fan violence and racist comments following a goal by Real Madrid. La Liga responded firmly, saying it has “zero tolerance for any act of violence inside or outside our stadiums.” This incident was again linked to Frente Atletico, resulting in a two-match partial stadium ban for Atletico Madrid.
Despite these challenges, Vinicius remains focused and determined on the pitch, already contributing 4 goals and 4 assists this season. As he aims to defend his Ballon d’Or title, he faces fierce competition not only from teammates like 21-year-old Jude Bellingham and superstar Kylian Mbappe, but also from 17-year-old Lamine Yamal of FC Barcelona, who recently won La Liga’s Player of the Month for September.
As Vinicius prepares to accept the Ballon d’Or, he continues to push boundaries and serve as a role model in the world of football. All eyes will be on Vinicius as he takes the stage to claim his place among football’s elite.
SOURCES
insidesportsjournal.com 
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