“Dani Olmo and I were there without winning it” - Barcelona star offers opinion on Vinicius Jr and Real Madrid boycotting Ballon d’Or gala

Real Madrid made the headlines for all the wrong reasons after they chose to boycott the 2024 Ballon d'Or gala as Vinicius Jr didn't win it. Barcelona youngster Pau Cubarsi shared his thoughts on Los Blancos' behavior and their decision to boycott the event.

For the first time in many years, the recipient of the Ballon d'Or was unconfirmed until the day of the gala. As a result, several players were tipped to win the award, especially Real Madrid forward Vinicius. The Brazilian was confident of his chances of winning and even bragged about it during his side's El Clasico defeat to Barcelona.

Pau Cubarsi, 17, was in action during the said Clasico, playing 90 minutes and helping his side keep a clean sheet in the 4-0 win. The defender was critical of the decision of their rivals to stay away from the gala, pointing out to RAC1 that several other players, including himself, made the trip despite not winning.

“Being among the top 10 or 20 of the Ballon d’Or is already a good prize and a footballer needs to be there," he said.

“Dani Olmo and I were there without winning it. I was not surprised that Vinicius did not win, he was very even with Rodri,” the teenager added.

Cubarsi is one of the most highly-rated young defenders in world football, having established himself as a regular starter for Barcelona. The youngster was ranked as the fifth-best U-21 player in world football at the Ballon d'Or gala while his friend and teammate Lamine Yamal won the Kopa trophy.

Against Real Madrid, Cubarsi made his 11th LaLiga appearance of the season, committing just one foul despite facing the likes of Vinicius and Kylian Mbappe. Barca tied the teenager to a long-term contract earlier this year in recognition of his startling development.

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Former manager slams Real Madrid over Ballon d'Or fiasco

Former France manager Raymond Domenech has called out Real Madrid over their behavior during the 2024 Ballon d'Or gala. The Spanish giants chose to boycott the event after learning that Spanish midfielder Rodri, and not Vinicius Jr, had won the award.

Speaking to GOAL, Domenech made it clear what he thought of the decision of Los Blancos to stay away from the ceremony in Paris. He accused the club of showing no respect to the winner of the award and other teams who were present.

“Real is said, and Real itself wants to be said, that it is a big club. Meanwhile, it turned out that it is a small club. Very small! What Real did is absolutely pathetic. They showed a lack of respect for football, for the other participants in the gala, for the winners,” he said.

Real Madrid were named the Club of the Year but couldn't pick up the award as they were absent. Manager Carlo Ancelotti was named the Coach of the Year, while Kylian Mbappe jointly won the Gerd Muller trophy with Harry Kane.