Ballon d'Or 2024: France Football confirms leak that prompted Real Madrid boycott

Real Madrid knew, before the official announcement, that Vinicius Jr would not win the 2024 Ballon d’Or. This was confirmed by Vincent Garcia, editor-in-chief of France Football, hours before the 2026 ceremony held Monday evening in London.

Garcia was part of a circle of “fewer than five people” who knew the final result before the ceremony. On the Sunday preceding the 2024 edition, he received a call from the Madrid club: “We know that Vinicius didn’t win.” The trophy was ultimately awarded to Manchester City midfielder Rodri, with only two or three votes separating him from the Brazilian, according to the magazine’s editor.

“During Sunday, the phone calls multiplied. I realized that, in fact, they had fairly precise information, which obviously posed a problem for me,” Garcia explained. He added that he had identified the probable source of the leak: “I know there was someone from the organization at the time who talked a lot.”

Without directly naming this person, Garcia raised the possibility of a former magazine editor: “Could it be through a former editor-in-chief who was somewhat bitter and a bit at odds with the group? I tell myself that anything is possible.”

These revelations shed light on Florentino Pérez’s spectacular decision to cancel at the last minute the flight of the entire Real Madrid delegation — players, staff and executives — to Paris, where the ceremony was being held. Real Madrid’s boycott had been one of the most striking episodes of the evening, in which Rodri prevailed over Vinicius Jr, who had been considered a strong favorite by much of the press and supporters.