Trouble over Ballon d'Or

“Keep on fighting!” Alaba’s message to Vinicius

David Alaba (left) and his team-mates are clearly behind Vinicius Junior (2nd from left).(Bild: AFP/APA/JAVIER SORIANO)

ÖFB international David Alaba has now also commented on the uproar surrounding the Ballon d'Or award. In a social media message, he encourages his Real colleague Vinicius Junior and demands: "Keep fighting!"

The ÖFB star, who is in recovery training, wrote on social media: "Vinicius my brother, I'm proud of you. We know you deserve more. Keep fighting." His team-mate Eduardo Camavinga described the choice as "soccer politics" and wrote on X with a photo of himself and Vinícius Júnior: "My brother, you are the best footballer in the world and no award can say otherwise."

The Ballon d'Or for the Spanish European soccer champion Rodri was met with incomprehension by current and former Real Madrid players - because in their opinion, the award should have gone to the runner-up Vinícius Júnior. No representatives of the Champions League winners traveled to Paris for the award after it was announced that the prestigious trophy would not go to the Brazilian attacker.