While the football world debates the Ballon d’Or awarded to Rodri, Real Madrid seems intent on snubbing this event. By choosing not to attend the ceremony in Paris, the club has just published a lengthy statement on its website, aiming to underscore the grandeur of Real Madrid.
Real Madrid was notably absent at the 2024 Ballon d’Or ceremony, despite awards being presented to Carlo Ancelotti, Kylian Mbappé, and the Madrid team. This absence has both surprised and raised questions. While other big clubs and high-profile figures attended to honor Rodri and the evening’s honorees, the Spanish club chose to keep its distance.
Real Madrid’s absence, a club essential to the football landscape, raises suspicions. The reason may lie in France Football’s decision to favor certain criteria, notably by overlooking Vinícius Jr., considered by many to be the top favorite. Upon learning that the Brazilian international would not be crowned as the 2024 Ballon d’Or winner, Florentino Pérez swiftly decided to cancel Real Madrid’s delegation trip. According to Spanish media, the “Casa Blanca” suspects UEFA might be behind this controversy, given the strained relations between the two institutions in recent years.
Real Madrid’s official statement, a call for respect
Following the Ballon d’Or ceremony, where Rodri took home the ultimate title, Real Madrid responded in its unique way. Far from remaining passive, the Spanish capital’s club seized the occasion to communicate on a terrain where it reigns supreme: social media. In an official statement, Real Madrid announced having crossed the 600 million followers mark across all its digital platforms.
This achievement positions the club as the world’s leading sports organization in terms of digital influence. Real Madrid has chosen to shine not only through its titles and on-field performances but also through its ability to unite an unrivaled community across the globe.
“Our club already has over 600 million followers on all its social media accounts. According to Blinkfire’s analytics tool, this makes it the first sports organization worldwide to reach this milestone. Real Madrid has the most followers across the majority of platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter), TikTok, Snapchat, and WhatsApp. (…) The club thereby reinforces its leadership in the digital content environment. It also holds the title of the world’s most visited football club website for the eighth consecutive year, averaging 8.9 million monthly visits, based on data from the digital analysis company SimilarWeb. Additionally, Real Madrid provides free access to its fans on its streaming platform, RM Play, where all club video content and Realmadrid TV are available on demand,” reads the club’s official website.
A subtle critique of the Ballon d’Or
By omitting any mention of the Ballon d’Or ceremony, Real Madrid seems to signal that, in its eyes, true recognition goes beyond awards of this nature.
With this response, Real Madrid reminds fans and the world that its prestige isn’t rooted in one trophy, but in its worldwide influence, legacy, and global impact. In choosing to stay away from the ceremony, Real Madrid has done more than simply sit out an event; it has reinforced its image as an institution that follows its own path, relying on no external validation to assert its unique stature.
Leave a Reply