Ancil
The Ballon d’Or is one of the few awards in football that you don’t have to earn. One of those awards they just give out to friends. You don’t have to compete against the world’s best on an 11-vs-11 pitch. All you have to do is be favorable to the people giving the awards. This is merely speculation (as I must say), but this year’s Ballon d’Or may have confirmed that the award isn’t as reputable as it should be.
Rodri is a great football player, but I can name a few other footballers who were more pivotal than him. But if you look at Real Madrid, it’s now a mostly black team, and the folks at Ballon d’Or don’t seem to like that. Because the criteria that granted Rodri the award ought to have positioned Dani Carvajal on the Ballon d’Or stage. He has won the Euros with Spain, the La Liga, and the Champions League. Shouldn’t the Champions League victory be enough to put Carvajal above Rodri? However, it’s possible that Real Madrid overlooked Carvajal because the majority race of Real Madrid doesn’t align with their ideal of a European football team.
But the biggest snub comes in the form of Vinicius Jr.
Vinicius Jr. didn’t only score more goals than Rodri; he also won the La Liga and Champions League. The only competition in Europe that Rodri was able to secure was the Euros. As you know, Vinicius Jr. doesn’t play in the Euros. While Vinicius Jr. did not secure his team’s Copa America victory, some may argue that Rodri failed to secure his team’s Champions League victory. And if a national win is so important, then Carvajal should have won the award.
The Last Time A Black Person Won a Ballon d’Or
Perhaps Vinicius’ failure to win the Ballon d’Or could be attributed to the panel’s distaste for black individuals or teams, and they will take any opportunity to snub them. It’s easier now to snub a black footballer because the game has gotten way more competitive and you have skilled players from every race and nationality. However, in 2005, Ronaldinho became the last black footballer to win the Ballon d’Or, primarily due to his undeniable talent. There was no other footballer to compare him to, as Ronaldo and Messi were only now coming up.
So, it is almost too clear that the Ballon d’Or will take any opportunity to snub a black footballer. We all know Vinicius Jr. is a much better footballer than Rodri. If national trophies were the primary difference, Carvajal should have emerged victorious.
From now on, I will no longer respect any decisions made by the Ballon d’Or panel, as its status as a respected trophy has faded. I wish Rodri the best with his Ballon d’Or.
