Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr. misses out on huge bonus after finishing second in the Ballon d’Or

It was a difficult day for Real Madrid striker Vinicius Jr. on Monday. The Brazilian missed out on the 2024 Ballon d’Or to Manchester City midfielder Rodri. Most expected him to win the award hours before the ceremony began. However, five to six hours before the event, it was announced that he would not win the award, leading to Real Madrid boycotting the event.

That wasn’t the only setback for Vinicius Jr., as news emerged this morning suggesting he would miss out on a significant bonus after finishing second in the Ballon d’Or voting.

Missing out on the Ballon d’Or wasn’t the only bad news for Vinicius Jr. yesterday. The Brazilian missed a chance at a significant bonus after finishing second to Rodri. According to Globo, Vinicius Jr. had a clause in his last contract extension that meant winning the Ballon d’Or yesterday would result in around $1.1 million in bonuses.

The contract was similar to that of former Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema, who won the Ballon d’Or in 2022 while playing for Los Blancos. Vinicius Jr. could secure even more bonuses if he is named best player at The Best FIFA Football Awards, which will take place on January 15.

After Rodri was announced as the winner of the 2024 Ballon d’Or, Vinicius Jr. took to his social media to post to his fans: “I’ll do it ten times if I have to. ‘They’re not ready yet.’ It is unknown whether the clause was to win the title just this year or at some point as a Real Madrid player. In the latter case, he will likely receive the bonus in the coming years.

Recommended

Former and current Real Madrid players support Vinicius Jr. after Ballon d’Or snub

Real Madrid’s 10 most expensive signings of all time

Real Madrid 2024/2025 schedule and schedule