Ballon d'or: Vinicius' incredible reaction to his 16th place finish

Having dropped from 2nd to 16th place in just one year at the Ballon d'Or, Vinicius Jr has made headlines once again.

After the announcement of his 16th place finish in the 2025 Ballon d'Or rankings, Vinicius took to Instagram to share a photo montage—one shot in a swimming pool, the other in a sauna—showcasing his recovery routine, all set to the track "Him All Along" by rapper Gunna.

The lyrics he chose highlight themes of luxury, revenge, and dominance, hinting at a cryptic message about his mindset in the face of disappointment and criticism: "I flooded a room with gold," "I'm going to crush all these insignificant rappers."

Many have interpreted this post as a symbolic response to his drop in the prestigious ranking, having finished second just a year earlier behind Rodri. At that time, Vinicius declared: “I’ll do it ten times more if I have to. They are not ready.” We’ll see his answer in a year.

Joshua SOSSOU

Editorfr, en, ar

As a sports fan, and particularly a football fan, I've been putting my writing talent to good use for a number of years now to promote African talent and the continent's football in general. On Foot Africa, enjoy reading each of my lines.