“Does Vini Jr play tennis?” - Hilarious billboard spotted in London after Real Madrid ace Vinicius Jr loses out to Rodri in 2024 Ballon d’Or race

A billboard questioning Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr's Ballon d’Or snub was recently spotted in London. Manchester City midfielder Rodri pipped Vinicius to the coveted award on October 28, triggering a reaction from the Los Blancos faithful.

Vinicius was reported to be the frontrunner in the 2024 Ballon d’Or race. However, in a late twist, the Spaniard was voted the winner, leading Real Madrid to boycott the event.

A few days after the event, a billboard questioning the awards was spotted in London with the question:

"Does Vini Jr. play tennis?’’

Under the question was a tagline:

"How much longer will prejudice overshadow skill?’’

UEFA responds to Real Madrid and Vinicius Jr Ballon d’Or snub

Europe’s football governing body, UEFA have tried to clear the controversy surrounding Vinicius Jr's Ballon d’Or snub, releasing a statement. UEFA also warned that they would take legal action against any party spreading false information against them or their officials.

According to Spanish outlet Relevo, after the ceremony, Real Madrid passed an unofficial message to UEFA, claiming president Aleksander Ceferin was responsible for their star man being denied the award.

In response, a high-ranking official from UEFA told Relevo:

"If they say something like that, that says everything about them. And then it does not deserve any further comment from us."

Later, on November 2, UEFA issued a statement to shoot down reports claiming Ceferin’s involvement in the Ballon d’Or decision. It read (via beIN Sports):

"We categorically deny the claims circulating about supposed UEFA comments on the Ballon d'Or outcome. Neither UEFA nor its president has made any statements or comments on the award's results. Such information is completely unfounded and does not reflect reality."

Real Madrid will want to move on from the Ballon d'Or saga and focus on on-field action as they face AC Milan in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday, November 5.