Vinicius and the 2024 Ballon d’Or: a secret resurfaces two years later

Nearly two years after the 2024 Ballon d’Or, Jennifer Hermoso’s brother has shared a striking account of Vinicius’ expectations before the ceremony.

The controversy surrounding the 2024 Ballon d’Or has been revived by a remarkable new claim. Rafa Hermoso, brother of Spain international Jennifer Hermoso, says Vinicius Junior believed he had been told he was going to win the prestigious individual award before the October 28, 2024 ceremony in Paris.

“I’m going to tell you a secret that almost nobody knows, but I think I can tell it now,” Rafa Hermoso explained. According to his account, the Brazilian invited them to dinner at his home to discuss something important. “He had been told he was going to win the Ballon d’Or. He had even already prepared a place for it in a display cabinet,” he added.

Jennifer Hermoso was reportedly set to hand him the Ballon d’Or

The story includes another striking detail. Rafa Hermoso says his sister Jennifer, who was due to receive the Sócrates Award that night for her social impact, was expected to present the Ballon d’Or to Vinicius, with the Brazilian then presenting her award in return. “It had been agreed that my sister would give him the Ballon d’Or and Vinicius would give the award to my sister. And then what happened… you all know already,” he said.

The evening ultimately unfolded very differently. Rodri won the Ballon d’Or, with Vinicius second and Jude Bellingham third. The final voting later showed that only 41 points separated Rodri and Vinicius. Real Madrid, having learned in the hours before the ceremony that their forward would not win, decided to boycott the gala.

A claim that reopens questions about 2024

Rafa Hermoso’s account is particularly notable because France Football insisted at the time that the winner had not been informed in advance. His comments, however, do not establish who told Vinicius he would win, or whether the message came from any official source rather than from people around the player.

Vinicius had a formidable sporting case that year. He recorded 24 goals and 11 assists in 2023-24 and helped Real Madrid win both La Liga and the Champions League, scoring in the European final against Borussia Dortmund.

The revelation comes at an interesting moment, as Real Madrid have now ended their Ballon d’Or boycott. Vinicius is again among the 30 nominees for the 2026 edition, but Rafa Hermoso’s story is likely to reopen debate over one of the most controversial awards nights of recent years.

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Mahdi Zakaria LAZRI |

Editor

Football web writer creating digital sports content with a focus on news, analysis and stories that reflect passion, accuracy and objectivity.

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