The organisers of the Ballon d'Or have responded to Real Madrid following the club's decision to snub tonight's prestigious award ceremony in Paris.
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Los Merengues were expected to attend, with Brazilian winger Vinicius Junior seen as a strong contender to succeed 2023 winner Lionel Messi.
However, reports from both France and Spain suggest that the winger discovered he would not be invited to the stage to collect the 2024 Ballon d'Or.
In light of this, Real Madrid confirmed to AFP that they would be boycotting the ceremony, expressing feelings of disrespect towards both the Ballon d'Or and UEFA, who have collaborated with France Football for the event's organisation.
In response, the Ballon d'Or organisers clarified through AFP that, unlike previous ceremonies, France Football has not informed the award's recipients in advance.
"Even the Ballon d'Or winner does not know he has won it before tonight's ceremony," they said.
"No player or club knows in the afternoon who the winner is. It is the same for every club and every player.
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This raises questions about whether Real Madrid had been informed of the winner's identity or if they acted prematurely in deciding to boycott the event.
